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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24742867">Servants in Remnant</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/shdowstep/pseuds/shdowstep'>shdowstep</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fate/stay night &amp; Related Fandoms, RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Lots of Heros</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:15:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>63,240</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24742867</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/shdowstep/pseuds/shdowstep</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Servants from the Nasuverse were summoned to Remnant? How well would they adapt to a world that was infested with Grimm? And how did they get summoned there?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Stolen Name</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They were travelling through the forest when they heard the explosion. The beowolves froze for several seconds before Alpha growled at them, pushing for them to investigate, and they started running towards the source.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were a dozen beowolves in this pack, led Alpha. They weren't sure their exact location, nor did they care. They were at least a couple days away from any human settlement, having made a raid against the place a week ago and had needed to put some distance in between them so the Hunters wouldn't find them. They had been under Alpha for several years now, and they didn't regret it at all. With Alpha's help, they had grown strong off of the negative emotions of the humans, and they were determined to not let their progress stop from overconfidence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The masked werewolves quickly came to the area where the explosion occurred, staying within the shadows of the trees. In the clearing, they saw a man on his knees within a circle of charred grass, slowly standing up. For the first time since he had taken over the pack, Alpha felt a surge from his baser instincts attempt to overule his mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Death. Hunter. Danger!</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grimm, the creatures of darkness spawned by Salem, were not usually intelligent. They hunted by instinct, following the negative emotions they sensed. But Alpha was different. He had survived long enough he was gaining a semblance of sentience, and he used it to help his pack become strong. Though his strategies were basic, when used on people that weren't expecting it, they were highly effective. Yes, instincts helped, but more often than not rational thought would prevail, especially since Hunters knew his kind well enough that they could guess what they would do if he followed his instincts. He had fought Hunters before, he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>killed</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hunters before, but none that had given him this feeling. As if the word </span>
  <b>
    <em>hunter</em>
  </b>
  <span> had a different meaning, one that felt... </span>
  <em>
    <span>Older.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now the man stood up, and he got a better view of him. Bare-chested, with colored markings on his body, interlaced with scars telling of old fights, a twisted sword in one hand, and a large... Club(?) in the other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alpha jerked back in disbelief. Hunters had Aura. That energy from the soul was the only way that humans were able to stand up to the might of even the weakest of Grimm. It's protection and quick healing also prevented most scars, and if someone lost their aura in the middle of a fight with the Grimm they didnt get scars, they lost limbs, if not their lives. Yet this man had a patchwork of scars running across his chest and back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Could it be from other humans? </span>
  </em>
  <span>The thought was discarded. The scars were too big to have been caused by humans. It was definitely made by a beast of some sort.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alpha directed his pack to go around and flank the man. Regardless of his initial feelings, the man had signs of not having aura, and though he had a couple weapons, he didnt reek of Dust. Not even in trace amounts. That meant that this man would not have any special abilities, not any of the thunder weapons most Hunters had. He would be careful as he always was, but this fight probably wasn't going to take long. He barely listened as the man started speaking to himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hmph, that was a rough summoning! And with no Master in sight... Most curious. And why is Gaia's presence so.. Weak? It's not Alya, she feels just as weak. Let me see, no presence of the Grail either. Ah! there we go, knowledge of current events. Not as prompt as the Grail, but I'll take it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alpha narrowed his eyes. the man didn't have the speaking glass that most humans did when they talked to themselves. Was this human mad perhaps? His initial feelings of unease slowly letting up, but not going away completely, as the man continues to ramble to himself. Soon they would attack and see if the madman could properly feed all of them with the emotions they desired.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man contnued his mumbling, and Alpha focused on the fight soon to happen. "Ok, Revenant, yeah yeah yeah, oh that could explain why Alya is so weak right now... What the heck - THE MOON?! Ok, dont think about that. Grimm? Ah, so that's what you guys are!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alpha froze at the mans words. He was now staring into the darkness, right at Alpha, even though he had thought himself sufficiently hidden.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, if surprise is no longer an option... I can still distract him, and the others can attack from behind.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alpha drew himself to his full height, and stalked into view, legs tensed and ready to lunge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man chuckled, his eyes narrowing. "So, you have experience. How many men and women have you killed to get that experience I wonder? How many children have been made orphans because of you?" He started twirling the twisted sword in his hand. "It also looks like you have a modicum of intelligence in you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man shook his head, carefully keeping Alpha within sight. "Well, that hardly matters now. Let me see, what manner of beast are yo...!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pack froze. They had been feeling disgust from the strange human, but it looked like he was pushing it back. The feelings of anticipation and excitement were climbing, and then they faded. To their senses, they felt him suddenly become shocked, followed swiftly by </span>
  <b>
    <em>rage </em>
  </b>
  <span>and </span>
  <b>
    <em>anger.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His voice came once more, this time lower, and more... demonic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>"Beowolves?!"</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alpha shuddered, the pack glancing at him reflexively.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>DANGER! DEATH! RUN!</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>"They named your kind Beowolves?!" </em>
  </b>
  <span>The mans face was snarling, they could FEEL his rage growing, but something stopped them from eating it. Some instinct warning them from it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The scarred man took a step forward, his hands clutching his swords. He had no protective Aura, but an unnatural </span>
  <b>aura</b>
  <span> had clearly shifted to appear around him. Tinted red, and while looking at it Alpha had a sudden vision of this man fighting a creature MUCH bigger than he or his pack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man spoke again, his snarl twisting the words. </span>
  <b>
    <em>"I was renowned as the hero of the Geats!"</em>
  </b>
  <span> His swords started humming, and Alpha could have sworn he heard growling come from them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>"I assisted the warriors of Dane, and through our efforts both Grendel and his mother were defeated!"</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alpha saw the vision faintly once more, with this man fighting an even larger creature than before. His tribal tattoos seemed to take on a life of their own, his scars standing out and becoming more prominent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>"With one sword entrusted to me by the Thegn Unfero, the other by Lord Hrothgar!"</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One sword was red, with a twisted core, sharp ridges and serrated edges adorned its sides.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The other was larger, and though it had edges it looking more like a club than a sword. If he looked closely enough, Alpha thought he could see small cracks through it. He didn't think he would be able to add any more cracks than what were already there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both swords seem to crackle with energy after the man introduces them, the growl from them increasing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>HUNT THEM. PIERCE. CRUSH THE BEASTS.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>"Though I died at the hands of a dragon, I took the creature with me to the abyss! </em>
  </b>
  <span>" the man shouted, veins bulging from his neck, muscles tensing across his body </span>
  <b>
    <em>"And this is how I am remembered? My name given to creatures of darkness? My legend forgotten?!"</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>RAGE. PAIN. HUNTER.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alpha fought through the panic and leapt at the man. A flurry of combat followed, and Alpha realized that though this man didn't have Aura, he was by no means a weakling. He was fast. His instincts were screaming at him to avoid being hit by either blade, and he was doing his best to follow them. Though the club wasn't too difficult, the twisted blade was. It was as if the blade was a dog trying to rip out his throat!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The twisted sword came up faster than expected, cutting the arm, followed by the man doing an almost impossible dodge as he twisted away from the rest of the blows. Alpha watched as his blood was absorbed into the blade, and the man grinned viciously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>"Hrunting has your scent now. There's no chance of escape anymore, if there ever was."</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A half-second later the rest of the pack came in and attacked. Alpha watched as the man eagerly fought back, the fury still apparent in his emotions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He thought that with their numbers they would have an advantage. They had fought Hunters before, so this SHOULD be nothing new. Except it </span>
  <em>
    <span>WAS.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man fought with no Aura, the blood from a scratch he received proved that. Yet his speed and strength were comparable to that of a professional Hunter! His swords cut through armor like water, or crushed it like it was brittle glass. His negative emotions could be felt in an almost physical way, but they couldn't feed off of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now, that's not to say that the man took no wounds. But it didn't seem to slow him down, and in fact just made him angrier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>"THIS IS ALL THAT YOU'VE GOT? HOW DID THEY GIVE MY NAME TO WEAKLINGS LIKE THIS?!"</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once they were reduced to two pack members and Alpha, he gave the order to retreat. His entire time as Alpha of the pack, and he had never done this. He had never done this the entirety of his time as a Beowolf! But it was the only option he could think of. They couldn't beat this man through regular methods, and the Queen needed to know about this. She MUST be informed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And so all three of them leapt back and sprinted away. Alpha heard a grunt, followed by a yelp, and saw another of the pack pierced with the twisted sword, which had been thrown like a javelin. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Great, he still had options for range. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Alpha ran faster.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he ran, he heard the faint voice if the man behind him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <b>
    <em>Wretched filth. There will be no mercy. Let me show you that though I have been classified as a Berserker, I was first and foremost, a Hunter."</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alpha shuddered at that, and forced himself to move even faster.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He just needed to keep running. There was no way the man could find them if they go far enough. They were already so far from any human villages, and the man had no provisions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He just needed to keep running.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>The man took a few deep breathes to steady his thoughts, both Hrunting and Naegling grumbling in his mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had no idea why he had been summoned like this. There was no instructions, no commands. So he could hardly be blamed if he decided to keep himself occupied until his master found him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After one more deep breath, he started forward, his skills easily picking out the path, and Hrunting pulling him along like an over-eager bloodhound.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If he had been forgotten, then he'd just have to remind everybody. A Heroic Spirit drew power from their legend after all. And what better way to reclaim the name Beowulf than to kill each and every one of those dark creatures that dared call themselves by his name.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A grin found its way on his face as he moved swiftly through the forest. They weren't Grendel. Not in strength, nor endurance. It wouldn't be easy, but he was confident in his skills.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was Beowulf, the Beast Hunter, King of the Geats, slayer of the Earnanaes Dragon, Grendel, and Grendel's Mother, and he would not lose to mere beasts.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Monsters and Heroes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dr. Oobleck jumped from one specimen to another, clearly hyped on coffee. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Or just the thrill of this new thing</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Charles thought to himself, chuckling softly. He yawned briefly, wincing as he looked at the time on his scroll. 3:00 in the morning. And he was the only chump pilot that decided to answer his scroll. Seriously, nothing good every comes from Scroll calls that early. In this case, it resulted in him being asked if he could pilot a bullhead for Oobleck, team STRN, and several scientists. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Or were they doctors? Meh, It's too early to think about that</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and he yawned again, only to jerk back when Oobleck appeared next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Coffee? Fresh as of a couple hours ago." Oobleck offered, holding out his thermos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah, no thanks professor" Charles declined a little warily. Seriously, the thermos was part of his gun! wouldn't that change the taste or something? To something that probably wasn't good? Wait, why was that scientist trying to signal him?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ooblecks eye twitched, and with a strained voice stated "That's Doctor Oobleck. I went through a lot of effort to get my doctorate I'll have you know!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles blinked and rubbed his head in an embarrassed fashion. "Sorry doctor, my head is still functioning a bit slow. So what have you guys decided to do about 'these' things?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>'These' were numerous statues of Grimm, mostly Ursa Minor with one Ursa Major, in various stages of attack or running away. Charles hadn't gotten close to them yet, but they looked amazingly detailed from where he stood. Somebody had made the call around midnight apparently, saying that they had appeared in this field outside of Vale. He wasn't sure why somebody would go through the effort of making statues like these only to perch them in a random field. Seemed kind of pointless to him. Sure, they were of Grimm, but he's sure that they would fetch a pretty penny on the market.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah, that is the question isnt it" Oobleck said, his eyes lighting up. "For sure we are taking one with us. Two if we can squish some people together. With any luck, we can figure out some clues on how they turned into this."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles nodded thoughtfully, before blinking as he thought about what was said. "What do you mean 'How they turned into this? Didn't somebody just drag them out here and dumped them here? I mean, it would be stupid to carve these statues out here. The Grimm aren't going to spare you because they were flattered you carved a statue out of them!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oobleck's eyes lit up even more, and he grabbed Chareles arm and dragged him closer to the statues. "Nope! That theory was disproved before we got here. Come, look at the fur, the masks. From the smoothness of the masks, to the individual furs, the amount of effort that would have had to go into these statues are astronomical! But the real kicker is over here, at this statue!" As Oobleck talked, his voice got faster and faster, only stopping when they reached one statue that looked like it had taken several hard blows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles looked at it for a second, before sighing, "I'm sorry, I must be tired still what exactly am I looking fo..." he trailed off on what he was saying. he stared for a bit, and then asked "Um, doctor? why does that statue have stone, um, gutts?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor smirked at him. "That, my dear pilot, is why we are here. That is proof that something was able to turn a grimm completely into stone, from their furry and scaly outsides, to their formerly beating heart and squirming intestines."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles stood dumbfounded for several seconds before he spoke up again, "Bu-but how is that possible? A-and for them to get so many Grimm?!" he glanced around. there was 6 statues - 5 Ursa Minor, and 1 Ursa Major.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oobleck tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm, well, most likely whatever it was is a single target only. Observe the positions of the statues - most are in various positions of fighting, but clearly whoever was fighting them was moving around a fair bit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ursa Minor was hit first, and was probably smashed by that Ursa Major soon after petrification. Then, the Ursa Major got hit. If I was a betting man, I'd say that there were other creatures here as well that were fighting whatever it was, and they were killed instead of petrified. That Ursa Minor was probably the last of the lot, and tried to run." Oobleck grinned at Charles, "It's fascinating! Whatever this was, was able to petrify the creatures in a matter of seconds based off of their positioning. Once we get a couple more samples and bring it back to Vale we should be able to determine more, like what exactly was petrified first, the progress of said petrification, the material that they were petrified into, what exactly they..." Oobleck's talking slowly became faster, and he began mumbling other potential questions that he had regarding this phenomenon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles was still wrapping his mind around the concept as he stared at the others in the field. Team STRN were staring at the scientists as they poked and prodded one of the statues, talking about some kind of chemical analysis they wanted to do. Then he had a sudden thought, "So, this had to be some kind of Semblance, right?" looking at Oobleck with inquisitive eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oobleck jerked back as he came out of his mumbling spree. "Perhaps. Or it could be the use of chemicals that somebody was testing. Or a new weapon that was being tested. Or even... Something else entirely. The world is still full of unknowns after all." Oobleck finished with a smile. "Hopefully we'll be able to find out with some more testing. There are numerous things that we can search for that could tell us quite..." Oobleck's speech suddenly slowed down, and he glanced towards the mountains. He stared at it for a little while before continuing, "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ahem</span>
  </em>
  <span>, yes, as I was saying, it would tell us quite a bit. Alright everybody, I think that we've learned all that we can right now, let's get one of these boys onto the bullhead."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the scientists looked confused, "But sir, we can still-" "Nope! You're all tired and not performing at your best! Let's bring it to Beacon, get a nice long rest, and then look at everything with fresh eyes. Sounds like a marvelous idea, don't you think? Now c'mon boys, let's throw your backs into it, altogether now, one - two - three!" Any protests that the scientists had were steamrolled by Oobleck. Charles looked confused for a bit, but shrugged. At least he'd be able to get some more sleep soon, and he walked back to the bullhead and started the engine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a considerable amount of grumbling and complaining from Team STRN as they lifted the statue and transported it to the bullhead, Oobleck quickly grabbed a few samples from the other statues and everybody got on the bullhead. Soon they were back on their way to Vale without any incident.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Heh, from the way he was acting, I almost thought that we were going to be attacked or something. I guess the doctor's mind is tired like mine is. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Charles thought as he piloted. Soon putting the incident out of his mind, and it went back to the statues. Despite what Oobleck said, he was worried. He had no idea what kind of chemicals could b used to turn something to stone. To him, the only logical explanation was a Semblance. Those things hardly made sense anyways. But something like this? He shuddered. That's scary. And it sounds like the person was doing it away from where anybody could see them, which wasn't something an honest person would do. So a dishonest person with this kind of power? That gave him the shivers. He'd probably need a drink after getting back, just to unwind properly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Junior's should still be open, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought. I'll probably drop by there...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flying back, nobody saw the person staring at the bullhead with narrowed eyes.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Oobleck frowned as he listened to the other scientists absently. He'd have to talk with Glynda about teaching the teams to have more situational awareness, especially on missions. None of team STRN sensed that they were being watched. True, he was an experienced Huntsman, but they were a third year team, and they were supposed to be on guard while he was studying the specimens! He pouted a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The presence didn't feel... Hostile per se. But it was paying very close attention to them. He would have loved to stay and observe, or even go hunt it out, but he couldn't the large civilian presence they had. He grimaced. He'd come by later perhaps with Port. He could tell the man that he thinks he saw an excellent specimen to show his students. That usually got him pretty stoked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mind drew back to the statue. Petrification. Such a thing was unlike any Semblance recorded to date. Was it something that could petrify everything? Or were Grimm different enough that it caused them to be petrified? Too many unknowns to factor in, and he grimaced again. He could understand why somebody would want this to remain hidden. With this powerful of an ability, they would no doubt be hounded by numerous people who would want them. He could understand it, but it certainly made things more difficult on his end. If it wasn't a Semblance... Though it was a long shot, it very well could be chemicals. He couldn't discount that without doing tests first. Or maybe it was a new type of Grimm, and it was having territory disputes. Or something else entirely - he wasn't lying to Charles when he said that. Between Ozpin, the Maidens, Salem, and the Relics, there was certainly enough mysterious things to go around, so what's one more? He'd have to bring it up with Ozpin once he got back.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought to himself, </span>
  <em>
    <span>after I get back and have a chance to study this guy some more. </span>
  </em>
  <span>His mood lifted as he thought of the chance to use some better equipment to study the statue. Sleep could wait, and he had plenty of coffee to keep him going. Maybe he could just assign an essay or something for the class tomorrow, that way he'd have more time to look at this...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And with that, the bullhead pulled into Beacon, team STRN once more complaining about having to carry the statue. Oobleck thought quickly about what he sensed on the mountain. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Whatever it ends up being, I do hope we don't find any human statues in the future. We have enough trouble with the Grimm as it is." </span>
  </em>
  <span>And then went back to directing Team STRN. He'd have helped with the statue, but he considered this their punishment for not sensing the presence earlier.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The lady frowned as she stared at the plane that was leaving. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A bullhead </span>
  </em>
  <span>her mind supplied, seeing it even though she was wearing a blindfold. She cursed herself for her slip. She could have killed them without using her Mystic Eyes, but she wanted to test them to see if they were still effective on these creatures. Turns out it works just fine on the Grimm. Unfortunately, the humans were now aware of her, and would no doubt try to seek her out. The thought made her angry, and she hastily made her way back. There was no way that she would let </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span> be threatened by anyone, and until they knew more, being reclusive was the best option.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Making her way back to where they were, she eventually came to the spot. Seeing them, her eyes started tearing up, and she couldn't help but envelope them in a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stheno and Euryale. Her sisters whom she had killed after falling under this curse, and the ones that she had never thought she would see again. Despite them all being summoned several days ago, she still could hardly believed that they were here with her, and she found herself needing physical contact with them to reassure herself. After initiating the hug, Stheno grumbled at her, but without any malice, and Euryale returned the hug wholeheartedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stheno came out of the hug first, and looked over Medusa for any injuries, "What's wrong? Did anything happen?" </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not that Medusa needed an excuse to hug them these days </span>
  </em>
  <span>she told herself with a small smile. As the oldest sister, she had felt the most guilt for allowing Medusa to fall under the curse without helping her more. She hadn't thought much of it until the curse had too deep a hold on her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Never again. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her sister might have more combat experience than either her or Euryale now, but they would assist her. This time, she would not carry the burden all by herself. And if she needed a hug every once in a while to help her get over the trauma she went through in the past, then she would provide that without any issue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Medusa eventually let go of them. "Humans have discovered the statues of Grimm I killed. We need to move now before they come looking for us." She grimaced, "The knowledge of current events that was given to me is incomplete. I'm afraid that I don't know what kind of people live in the city of Vale, nor how they would receive us." She wasn't sure why her sisters had been summoned with her. Currently, they had the same connection to her that her steed, Pegasus, did when she was summoned in the Grail War. Perhaps that is why she felt so much weaker this time than she had before. If that is so, then she didn't care. She was with her sisters once more, something that she had thought impossible, and she would not risk them. If there was another event like the Grail War, she would not participate. And if they came to her? She would do whatever she could to protect her sisters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Euryale hummed thoughtfully. "From what you told us, it should take a good amount of time for them to reach Vale, so we should have time to leave." She touched Medusa's arm gently, "They have given no evidence that shows that they mean us harm, so if they do find us, we'll give them the benefit of the doubt." She then smirked, gesturing to a bow and quiver she had, "and if they do decide to make things difficult, then we'll take them on. All three of us will." Euryale refused to let any of them feel down. They were together again, just like she had always believed they would be. Yes, they could plan to prevent bad stuff happening, but she refused to dwell on it. The three of them had been through too much pain in the past to dwell on it anymore, especially her younger sister. She was confident that the would enter human society at some point, and she had no problem with being patient until they had more knowledge and they all felt it was safe enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Medusa felt her eyes tear up some more, "Yes, you are correct. Here," and she brought out a paper and started drawing a rough sketch of the continent, "If we can make it to the coast, then there are a couple of islands that we could inhabit. Or, there is an abandoned city close by in the mountains that we could use. We would have to clear the Grimm out ourselves of course in either place, but both options seem valid."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the Gorgon sisters discussed the pro's and con's of where to go, Medusa felt her heart become lighter. She was a monster, despite what her sisters kept on telling her. With her past and what she's done, she believed that without a doubt. But, it was done to protect her sisters, to protect those that were important to her. She had a brief image of several people she had met during the Grail War. They had tried to convince her that she wasn't a monster as well. She couldn't help but smile. They were wrong, but not completely. Though she believed that she was a monster, she would embrace it so long as she could keep the happiness she felt right now, being with her family. For that, she would go to great lengths to protect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at her sisters once more as they discussed location ideas further. She didn't care who thought that she was a monster, so long as she could be a hero to them.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. An 'Observer'</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Cinder Fall smirked in victory as she stared into the scared face of Amber, the current Fall Maiden. The soon to be former Fall Maiden was being held by both Mercury and Emerald, her arms secured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was unfortunate that Amber had not fallen right away, but she was still pleased with the results. Now the former maiden could look at her and know that she was beaten, and know what would happen to her. She slowly raised her gloved hands, feeling her Aura shift as the parasite woke up and peaked out through her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amber started panicking, though her struggles were useless, and her captors ignored her pleas. In truth, she didn't expect them to, but she couldn't help it.</span>
  <em>
    <span> I wasn't trained for this! </span>
  </em>
  <span>She shouted in her head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>My predecessor couldn't train me, and I was told to focus on hiding, not fighting! </span>
  </em>
  <span>She tried to prevent her tears from falling, she knew that it would only encourage them, whoever they were. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I just wanted to help other people... </span>
  </em>
  <span>And then the Grimm struck her, and she felt PAIN.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aura is a manifestation of the soul. A Semblance is the crystallization and focus of Aura. The Maidens power was similar, yet completely different. It went deeper. Separate from the power of a Semblance, it was very much connected to both the soul. As the Grimm sucked the power of the Maiden, Amber felt it, as if something was chewing on her body and eating her. Her power was forcefully activated, which only added to the stress on her body, and she could barely make a sound. As she saw the darkness creeping in on her vision she could barely hear her own thoughts as she pleaded one last time, "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Please" </span>
  </em>
  <span>she gulped as tears fell,</span>
  <em>
    <span> "Somebody save me..."</span>
  </em>
  <span> And right before she blacked out, she felt the ground begin to rumble, as something soft pressed against her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unlike the pain that Amber was feeling, Cinder was feeling the complete opposite. She felt the power of the Maiden start to mix with her own Aura and Semblance, and the feeling she was getting from it doing so was unlike anything she had felt before, like a drug. She could FEEL her reserves increase, like a wildfire consuming more and more fuel, and she reveled in the feeling, as well as the look of helplessness on Amber's face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her revelry was cut short when the ground started shuddering, and instincts had her leaping backward as fast as she could, with Mercury and Emerald doing the same. Right at that moment, before Amber could fall from the lack of support, a tree burst into existence right underneath her. Cinder could only look in disbelief as a tree, as if somebody had clicked a fast-forward button, grew from the middle of the road, it's branches wrapping around Amber securely as it rose higher. Looking around desperately to see who interfered, all three jumped when they heard somebody right next to the newly made tree. "Well? What do you think? I personally dislike Redwoods, I think they're a little stuck up. I mean, I don't blame them, being the tallest trees in the world I think they've got reason to brag, but I try to give some others a chance to shine when I can, like the Eucalyptus Regnans here." The stranger slapped the tree. "Also, this tree has flowers! That brings it up in my book." He turned to the three of them and shot them a bright smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The new man was... Odd. Remarkably unconcerned with having just interrupted a fight. He appeared to be around their age, a little more than 5 and a half feet high, with white hair that looked almost iridescent. He had a strange looking staff in his hand, and royal blue robes with fancy embroidery. For a fraction of a second, she could have sworn his smile was full of mischief, and then it vanished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cinder looked at him shock and anger. She had been riding the feeling of euphoria from draining Ambers power, and to have it interrupted right in the middle was not a pleasant experience. Her mood having been soured, she was just about to use her newly acquired power on this new person, and she could see Emerald prepare an illusion with Mercury about to charge in himself, when the mystery man widened his eyes and pointed towards her, now bare, arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wow, wait! Is that a class B parasitic Phantasmal Beast Construct?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All three froze in place, and Cinder's eye's widened at what he said. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>What? how does he know what this is? These are created solely by Salem! Is he allied with her? Why is he opposing us then? And what on earth did he call it?" </span>
  </em>
  <span>As Cinder desperately thought this through, the man continued with an innocent smile, "Yeah, I'm sure that's what it is! Especially after seeing you use it on that beautiful lady up there! Probably trying to drain her Aura and add it to your own. I mean, that is pretty much their only purpose." he said while nodding thoughtfully. "Well, I shouldn't say that, some people might like them as pets. Some people like having pet rocks after all, so a pet parasite is probably a thing. Just gotta be careful on where it is, you know?" Once again, the mischievous look appeared on his face before vanishing. The three attackers could only stare in shock, unsure of what to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh! How rude of me! My name is Emerys Myrrdin" He gave an extravagant bow, and then sheepishly looked at them, "Ahh, so, I'm sure you already know the dangers of a soul transfer like that, right?" The man, Emerys, asked, but continued after only a small pause, leaving her no chance to say anything, and his tone changed to that of a lecturer. "The soul is still a very mysterious force to most people, and a soul transfer is pretty risky business. Let's say that your original soul is like you having a glass ball in your hand." The man materialized a glass ball and held it in his hand for them to see, shocking them once more that he was able to do such a thing. Both Emerald and Mercury looked at Cinder hesitantly, not willing to attack first. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What the heck is that? Isn't his semblance to grow tree's?</span>
  </em>
  <span> "Then, a soul transfer would be if somebody handed you a second glass ball." As he said that, another ball appeared in his other hand. As he let got of his staff, it stayed upright in the dirt without assistance. "But! that's only if somebody gave it to you willingly. If it was forced? Then the other soul is resisting! And it's more like you are juggling two glass balls." He started to do so with ease. "Now, most people can handle this subconsciously, and they don't have to worry till the get more than two glass balls. But! The real trouble occurs when the soul transfer is interrupted." One glass ball becomes misshapen and lumpy "Just try it, juggling multiple objects is fairly easy, so long as the objects are similar to each other. When it's different? It becomes clumsy, and prone to fall" the lumpy glass ball slipped and crashed on the ground. "Now, this can be solved by either resuming the draining process" the man pointed upwards in the tree "Or intensive meditation to shape the Aura into something usable with your own soul. Until that is done, using your Semblance could cause severe problems for you. Possibly even death" The man concludes his lecture with a sorrowful look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cinder was getting confused. She was a very competent strategist and fighter, and was used to the many mental gymnastics needed to be useful on fast paced battlefield. But, the transfer process had been cut before it was finished, bringing her from having the best feeling in the world to being nauseas, a stranger that she didn't recognize from Ozpins inner circle appeared, he RECOGNIZED the parasite given to her by Salem, and then calmly explained how she could die if she used her semblance with only half of the maidens power. She knew she couldn't trust this man, but at the same time she couldn't dismiss it outright! She ground her teeth in frustration. "Very well then, if that is the case, then won't you let me continue?" she asked with narrowed eyes, her hands gesturing to her allies to prepare to attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emerys grimaced and clutched his heart. "Oh how it pains me to reject the earnest plea of a beautiful maiden!" He sighed dramatically, before smirking at them "Unfortunately for you, another maiden beat you to the punch, so I don't feel any guilt anymore." Quickly grabbing his staff, he slammed it to the ground, and a wave of vines came out and flung themselves towards them. All three were able to leap and dodge, and immediately started attacking. Cinder was about to reach for her semblance once more before the thought came "-</span>
  <b>
    <em>using your Semblance could case severe problems for you. Possibly even death" </em>
  </b>
  <span>She gritted her teeth. She couldn't risk it. He was the enemy, the odds he was telling the truth was extremely slim... But she couldn't take that chance! With a scream of rage, she started letting loose with arrows, while Emerald fired her guns, her Semblance making her seem like she was somewhere else, and Mercury leapt over and attacked him from behind. It hadn't been that long since the fight with Amber, but they were far from exhausted. A second later they had to pause and </span>
  <b>stare.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Moments before the projectiles were about to hit, the mans skin and robes... shifted, while the man stood in the same spot. Skin and bone, muscle and cloth, all seemed to twist and shift unnaturally around the projectiles as they went by. During the pause, the man smiled innocently at them, and speaking in an offhand tone said "Oh! is it my turn now? Seems a bit unfair right now... I know! I need some allies of my own! Sooo, how do you feel about bees?" And with an evil smile pulled a bottle out of his robes and unloosed a cork, and several small bees came out and flew towards Mercury. He was about to ignore them, when the man muttered a few words, and all of a sudden </span>
  <b>THEY</b>
  <span> changed. Mercury watched in horror as they became larger, mutating within seconds. Stingers became a foot in length, their wingspan three feet, their coloring was just... Wrong, and their eyes... Mercury wanted to retch. The only thing that prevented him from running far, far away was his fear of Cinder. With hands slightly shaking, he used his gun-legs to propel himself away from the mutated horrors so he could attack them properly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With Mercury occupied, the man turned to Cinder and, after summoning a sword from somewhere, charged at her. Cinder quickly tore her eyes away from Mercury's fight, and took out her own daggers and started fighting with the man. "Emerald!" Cinder shouted out, "Help Mercury, fast!" "Yes ma'am!". The man raised his eyebrow at her. "So, pretty confident that you can take me, aren't you?" Cinder smirked, "I think I should be" A flurry of blows followed, both of them sticking solely to swords as their weapons. "You just used several very impressive moves, and I imagine they aren't very cost effective. You're probably running low on Aura right about now, as evident from you using your swords instead of your Semblance." Several blows later, and the man jumped back quickly. "Well, that's pretty logical, given all that you know. Could even be probable! The truth though?" He smiled sheepishly, "I tend to bite my tongue as I cast certain spells. You ever bite your tongue as you're trying to manipulate energy?" He shuddered. "It's not a fun experience!" He dodged several more attacks and pushed Cinder back, "Really, when all you need to do is beat somebody else, a sword seems much more straightforward, not to mention faster, don't you think?" He quickly ducked and avoided several arrows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cinder was fuming. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This man was mocking her!</span>
  </em>
  <span> She just needed to hold out until Emerald and Mercury finished those creatures, and then they could focus on this fool. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If only I knew whether or not it was safe to use half of the maidens power! </span>
  </em>
  <span>She had never asked Salem about this eventuality. She had thought that if she was in a position to get part of the power, she would get all of it. And now, THIS has happened! She shot some more arrows at the man, and he dodged them effortlessly. The man then looked behind her and frowned sadly. "Awe, he killed the bees. Now he's missed the chance to have an epic ending!" Cinder frowned, "What?" "Oh c'mon, imagine being dead, and you're with other dead souls, and they ask you how you died. Instead of saying you died in a war or to a stab wound, you could say you were killed by giant mutant bees! Amazing ice breaker" he said with an eager smile. "Oh well, with them dead, I don't have to feel guilty by doing this..." And he snapped his finger, and Cinder heard several explosions behind her. Jumping to the side so she could see what happened while keeping the man in view, she saw several small craters where... the bee's had exploded? Mercury had managed to jump away, but it looked he was trying to get his leg off as acid started eating through it. Emerald made it out with some large scrapes and bruises, but looking dazed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cinder hated what she was about to do, but she had no choice. "... We have to fall back. Both of you, let's get out of here!" And they quickly ran. She turned back after a bit and glared at the man, who was now smirking insufferably at her. She couldn't do anything to him right now, but she would find him someday, and she would have to invent a new way to torture people to inflict all that she wanted right now. She quickly picked up Mercury, who's leg had melted at this point, and continued running. She did not look forward to speaking with Salem later this evening...</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Merlin looked at the retreating figures with a smile. Sure, he could killed them. Or imprisoned them. Or incapacitated them. But honestly, his entire life he was the consultant for the king, and usually an observer. With his power, he could easily tip the balance one way or the other. And if he did that... Well, it just wouldn't be very fun now, would it? He chuckled to himself. Technically he wasn't supposed to be here. Heroic Spirits were called for this, and he didn't really qualify for the dead category, seeing as he was still locked in that dang tower. But, he wouldn't be himself if he couldn't think of a loophole, so when he felt the giant summoning, after so many years of silence, he just had to do something to see what the fuss was about. Creating an empty homunculi body, throwing it to land with the other summons, and then using his magic to possess the homunculi from where he was at? Well, he can't say it was child's play, but he could do it!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though he had only planned on being an observer, when he saw that one girl stealing the other girls soul as she was, it was something he just had to check out, especially since the original girl felt... different. He could barely stop himself from laughing hysterically when he saw that they had bought his lies. a "class B parasitic Phantasmal Beast Construct", hah! Say some official sounding words, cobble together a semi-plausible explanation, speak in a "teacher" voice, and abuse your charisma stats like crazy, and you've got the makings of some grade S lies. That girl was so wary of using her own powers she crippled her own efforts, and created doubt within the whole team, heh. It's nice to know that he could still fluster the ladies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook himself out of his thoughts and turned his attention to the original girl. What was her name? Ah yes, Amber. With a gesture, the tree shook, and then lowered itself and Amber. Once she was on the ground again, he looked her over. Her pretty face had been scarred by the parasite, and he shook his head in pity. Then, he looked closer... Yep, her soul definitely had a bite taken out of it. Approximately half, but it's difficult to judge for exactness when you're talking about souls. Looks like her body had placed itself in emergency mode, which wasn't unusual. The pain was probably pretty bad, and healing from soul damage took a while usually.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that wasn't why he was here... There! For the first time since he came to this land, he found somebody with a magical crest! Although, the way it was grafted internally onto her soul was definitely odd. Also, with the way that this poor girl had parts of the magic crest stolen, it would be impossible for her soul to heal. Her soul would attempt to heal the magic crest first, but with it stolen as it was and not merely damaged, it would never heal, and the soul would never get around to healing the rest of itself. Good thing he never really bothered to listen to rules that had "never" in them. Already he could think of a few things to do to help her out, and even improve upon what he saw. The real question of course was whether or not he should...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat there contemplating for a bit. He really did mean to only come to this land as an observer, and he wanted to keep that status. Something about this current land dulled his Mystic Eyes, which fascinated him. He couldn't see the future as clearly anymore, which means he could actually be surprised! It makes things difficult if he was actually participating, but for an observer, it was wonderful! He smirked and started to cast some more spells, focused on the girl. If FATE had had it's way, she would most likely be dead, her power owned by the Cinder girl. So, with that in mind, he wondered how things would turn out with one more unexpected player on the field. With a few more words, the spells were cast.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>"... And that is what happened, Lady Salem" Cinder told the projection of her boss. Her head was bowed, and she felt extremely nervous. She wasn't sure how Salem would react to this news, she wasn't expecting anything good. The job had been bungled, somebody was aware of what they had done, and they didn't even get all of the Maidens Power.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Tell me... What did you say this man's name was?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cinder closed her eyes and thought about it briefly. "Umm, he introduced himself as Emerys Myrddin, my Lady." She looked up slightly so she could view the projection. Salem had gone very still, and looked like she was looking at a distant object. Eventually, she looked back at Cinder. "I do not believe that he was telling the truth, but tread carefully when using your powers for the next couple of days, we don't know if he did something to it. Furthermore, be very careful. Next time you see this man, make sure to tell me as soon as possible."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cinder was stunned that she was getting off so lightly, and quickly acknowledged the command. As the projection vanished, she thought back to the strange man and felt her frustrations grow. She would need to master this power fast. When the time came, she would show him true pain.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Qrow stared at the scene in shock. Now, he could be wrong, but he was pretty sure there hadn't been a giant tree in the middle of the road here the other day! He shook his head and looked around. It was evident that a large fight had occurred, but the only person here was Amber. As he lifted her up, he looked at her unblemished face. with a frown. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder what happened here... Will she be able to tell us when she wakes up? And why did they leave her alive? Gah, nothing about this makes sense!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He was broken out of his thoughts by a little squirrel that came out of Ambers pocket. It was an odd one - he hadn't ever recalled seeing white fur on a squirrel before. It chittered at him angrily, running around in circles for a bit, before dashing back into the pocket. Feeling as if he'd been chastised, Qrow immediately started running back to the Bullhead. He could think of questions later, right now Amber needed medical attention. When he got to the ship he laid her down and walked over to the pilots seat, quickly heading to Beacon as fast as he could. As the bullhead lifted off, Amber moaned weakly and opened her eyes briefly before falling back into unconsciousness.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Salem let her thoughts drift for a bit. Emerys Myrddin... A forgotten name from legends when SHE was young. Had he truly existed, she had no doubt he would have made his presence known much sooner than this, much like Ozpin had. But the fact that he used that name, and called something a phantasmal beast... It was probably another myth that Ozpin was trying to spread, but it still shook her a bit. She would need to do some research. One way or another, any man that could show that much power bore watching. She stretched her power out and felt the Grimm across the land. She just needed to find a couple that could be used as spies to watch out for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she did so, she frowned briefly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why were so many Beowolves dying in Anima?</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Teacher and Student</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Blake Belladona sat on one of the couches in the orphanage, her knees pulled up to her chest. She could hear the children laughing in the background as they played some game or other. <em>How could they forget so quickly? </em>She shuddered. <em>It was just a few hours ago that some of them... That we... </em>Guilt twisted in her chest and her eyes burned. <em>When some of them were almost killed... </em>All of a sudden, a hand touched her shoulder, and she jerked back and looked.</p><p>Staring back at her with a compassionate look in his eye was one of the strangest faunus that Blake had ever seen. Long, dark blonde hair that reached his waist, his arms were bare, showing lean, powerful muscles. From the waist on up, he looked like a very handsome man. What made him so strange though, was from the waist down was the body of a horse. When he was standing, he towered over everybody else. Blake had never heard of a faunus that had this much of an animal trait, which was surprising to her. Considering how much he stood out, she would have thought that she would heard of him sooner.</p><p>The faunus gestured to outside of the orphanage, "Would you like to go for a quick walk? I think it would help clear your mind." Despite his looks, he had a nice, 'grandfather' atmosphere around him, which was very surprising seeing as how he didn't look that old. Blake thought about it before giving a nod, and walked out with him.</p><p>They walked in silence for a bit, eventually walking near an empty park, before the centaur spoke up. "They don't blame you, you know." Blake flinched at the words, before replying softly "They really should. You were the hero there, not us."</p><p>The faunus hummed softly. "Perhaps. However, there is more than one type of hero. You are here, and none of the others are here. You wanted to make sure that they were alright, that they made it back safely. That counts for something, I would think." She whirled around to look at him, "And that makes everything alright!? After what just happened? They should hate us for what almost happened! They have every right to hate us!" She shouted with tears starting to fall, with the guilt twisting in her chest.</p><p>He smiled gently at her. "Of course it doesn't make things right. But, the people whom you say have every right to hate you do not, in fact, hate you. If they who have that right don't hate you, then by what right do you hate yourself?"</p><p>She turned away from him and looked to the night sky, and just watched the stars as she considered just how the day had gone so badly.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <strong>FLASHBACK</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>There was a warehouse within the Industrial District. Currently, it filled with Dust that mined through exploited faunus labor. While not unusual, this particular group was particularly brutal to their workers. The goal was simple. They wanted to steal a portion of the Dust for themselves, and they would blow up the rest. They were aware that there would be guards there, but they thought they could still take them on without too much difficulty. She and Adam were amongst the best. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She and Adam had brought several of the recruits with them so they could get used to the idea of doing stuff like this. They would scout out the place, see where the opposition was, and Adam and Blake would take on the opposition while the others would plant the explosives and move the cargo out. They picked a time when the police were patrolling farthest from this area, and they were usually pretty dependable on their timing. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>As they broke into the warehouse and the men started grabbing some crates and planting the explosives, that's when things started going wrong. Several crates in the back burst open, showing three Spider Security Droids. Two of them looked like the basic model, while the third had some serious upgrades added to it. Both Adam and Blake immediately charged the droids, trying to grab their attention while ordering their men to hurry and plant the explosives. And thus their dangerous dance began. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Blake had fought the Spider Droids before, and it was definitely not on her favorite list. Excellent defense, coupled with a strong ranged attack. By focusing on the joints and the sensors she could do damage, but usually it was Adam who would take them out with his Semblance once it was charged. Until then, it was a dangerous game of dodging and blocking. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>After several minutes of this, one of the Droids had been taken out, and the second wasn't looking too good. The Upgraded model had taken damage, but wasn't slowing down yet. Once the other men gave the signal, she and Adam broke off and ran out of the warehouse. They were followed as expected, but at least they wouldn't be blown to pieces. Blake was already calculating the chances of them making a run for it to get away from the Droids, when all of a sudden she saw several flashes of light seem to slam into the weaker droid, causing it to explode. Looking to the side, she saw a man on a horse wearing armor, charging at impressive speeds around the droid to get to the warehouse. He fired a few more shots at the droid with a bow (she did a double take at this. How could that thing do that much damage?), and she heard him shout "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Stunned, they watched him charge into the warehouse, not listening to her when she shouted for him to stop. She only just barely missed the next attack of the Spider Droid. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the man on the horse make it out with, her eyes widened, children! She was unable to get any more details before the warehouse exploded in a huge fireball. The explosives they had brought wasn't that bad, but with them being so close to that much Dust, it was only natural for it to grow bigger. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>As soon as she was able, she looked towards the man on the horse, only to realize that she had seen wrong. He wasn't a man on a horse, he was a horse faunus! and he was shielding the kids from the explosion with his own body. Soon after that, he came back up and pointed an arrow towards the Spider Droid, which was now focused on him. In a dangerous voice, she heard him say "I don't know what you are, but if you value your existence of the next few seconds, you will not point that at these kids." Right as the Droid was about to shoot, Adam charged up it and attacked it's head with the rest of the energy he had stored up, and that was enough to bring her back into the fight, as she focused on it's "knees". To top it off, the centaur then let his arrows loose, which somehow ripped through the armor, ultimately killing it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>As soon as the fight was over, Adam turned to the centaur and said "Thank you for your assistance, we were very grateful for it. We need to leave quickly, but if you are ever interested in joining the White Fang, you'll have my recommendation.", not noticing that the centaurs eye's had narrowed. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She tried to speak up, "Adam, we can't leave just yet, what about the kids?" Adam turned and glared at her, "What about the <strong>human</strong> kids?" putting emphasis on the human part. "Besides, they already have him to look after them. The cops will be here any second, so we have to move!". And with that, Adam and the others started moving out. After a little while, Blake turned to him and said "Go on ahead, I'll meet up with you guys later." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Adam stared at her for a bit, and she could practically feel his eyes narrowing before he gave her a nod and ran off. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Blake dashed towards the kids and looked them over. "Is there anybody hurt?" the centaur stared at her for a bit, and then his stern look melted off his face and he stepped out of the way. There were four kids, between the ages of eight and twelve. Three boys and one girl. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw the blood and the scared looks on them. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The centaur spoke up, "Bobby here has the worst of it I fear. Head wounds tend to bleed a lot, which is where most of it is coming from. The other have smaller scratches and bruises. However, your friend is correct in one sense. This is not a place where we want to be anymore. Hurry, help me with them." Soon, three of the kids were on the centaurs back, while she carried the young girl. The centaur turned to her once more and said "We live in an orphanage a little ways away. Follow me. Oh, and please, call me Chiron."</em>
</p><hr/><p>Chiron's voice broke through her thoughts, "Are you finished making yourself feel even more guilty?"</p><p>She gave him a small glare. "It's our fault that they got hurt! If you hadn't been there, they would have died, and I would never have known about it..."</p><p>Chiron was silent for a bit, "Yes, it is your fault that were injured."</p><p>Her breathing hitched. His words felt like a great weight on her shoulders.</p><p>"However, it is also the fault of the company to have such dangerous droids waiting in a warehouse. It is my fault not being faster in noticing the kids were missing and that they had decided to go on an adventure. It is the fault of the kids themselves for following you inside a warehouse at night because they heard somebody fighting, and wanted to see how cool it was." He shook his head. "Poor Johnny is a bit of a fighting fanatic. Once he wakes up tomorrow, I have no doubt he'll ask for your signature or something, so fair warning. But, I digress." He looked her in the eye. "Seems to me that if we're stacking the blame on people, that you're not the only one that's going to get a share. You are still young. It is expected to make mistakes. Thankfully none were injured this night, and you need to learn the lesson here. That way, such a mistake isn't made again, with more serious results..." He looked sadly to the side, seemingly lost in a memory.</p><p>They stayed silent for a while longer, looking at the stars. Then Chiron spoke again, "Despite all of this, I get the feeling that there is something more that is eating at you. You don't need to share it, but if you would like to get it off your chest, I am here to listen."</p><p>Blake stayed silent and thought for a bit. For some reason, she was very comfortable with this faunus that she had met only a few hours earlier. As she had thought earlier, he really did have the aura of a kind grandfather, or a sympathetic teacher. While she would normally hate talking to people about herself, she found that she wanted to talk to him about it. "It has to do with Adam. My boyfriend."</p><p>Chiron didn't say anything, and just looked at her with a calm look.</p><p>"I've been in the White Fang pretty much since the beginning, when it was a peaceful organization. As the years went on, people became more frustrated with the lack of progress, and when the leadership changed, the white fang became more radical, and violent. Adam is one of the supporters of the violence. He says that it's actually showing results. And it is! But it's because people fear us now." She went quiet for a bit.</p><p>Chiron hummed thoughtfully. "I take it that you do not approve of the way things are going?"</p><p>"... I've participated in the violence. And I think that there are things that need to be fought for. But this?" She looked at the ground. "It's getting results, but I don't want people to fear us. And... I'm worried about Adam. I've been worried about some of the things he's been saying for a while, but tonight? He had the time to offer you a place in the White Fang, but couldn't be bothered to make sure a CHILD was alright after an explosion of our own making!" She started breathing heavier, "It would be one thing if it was just a timing thing, but it was what he said. 'What about the human child'. If it was a faunus child, it would be different. He doesn't care that a child, regardless of race, nearly died." The tears were flowing freely now. "I didn't think he was like that. I've tried talking to him about it in the past, but he refuses to listen." More tears dropped. "I loved him, and it hurts me to see him doing this."</p><p>She felt arms wrap around her, and realized Chiron was kneeling his horse knees so he could give her a hug, which she returned. After a few minutes, he let her go. "Do you feel better?" To which she nodded.</p><p>He sighed, "I'm not going to pretend to have a good answer for you. Matters of the heart are rarely straightforward, and the answers are often different for different people. You say that you have tried to talk to him about this?"</p><p>Blake nodded once again, "The few times I've brought it up, he's been almost violent. I didn't realize it at first - he complained when the White Fang was peaceful, and was overjoyed when Sienna took charge." She closed her eyes and thought for a couple minutes. "When I had first met him, I think I liked him because he seemed like the embodiment of justice, after everything he went through. After that, I believed he was passionate. My parents warned me away from him. They told me that he wasn't like that, and that he was full of spite." She gave a self-mocking laugh. "I guess that's another thing they were right about."</p><p>Chiron smiled sadly at her, "It's often strange how often that happens regarding parents and their kids." He then looked at her. "With all of that in mind, do you know what you are going to do now?"</p><p>She sighed, "I'm not sure. I still want to help the faunus, but I'm not sure how now."</p><p>Chiron smiled at her, "Would you like me to give a recommendation?" She looked at him inquisitively. "Take a break. You have a lot on your mind, and a lot of stress within you because of all of this. Tell Adam that you would like to be away for a while so you can think through things. Then, come here, and stay at the orphanage for a time."</p><p>She blinked, startled at this. "Why? What would that help?"</p><p>He laughed softly, "A couple of reasons. First, it would be beneficial for you to get away from the stress of trying to work within a terrorist organization," giving her an arched look after saying that. "Second, it would appeal to your desire to help the faunus. I don't know if you noticed, but the orphanage actually contains more faunus than humans. I only came to this city in the last week. Before I got here, poor Sierra was trying to manage all on her own. Ever since I have arrived, I have been helping teach the kids and keeping them entertained. I am quite the storyteller apparently" he said with a bright smile. "And lastly, I would like to make you an offer. I would like to take you on as a student."</p><p>That really startled her, and she looked at him in confusion. "A student? For what?"</p><p>He hummed to himself for a bit, searching for the right words. Eventually he smiled, "To be a hero."</p><p>The simplicity of the statement shook her, and she stared at him as she thought about it.</p><p>He continued speaking, "I know I don't look it, but I have seen quite a few things, and I have taught a lot students, many of them becoming quite powerful." His eyes glazed over for a second, his voice becoming nostalgic. "I haven't had the opportunity to teach somebody lately, and I have found that I truly missed it." He looked directly at her and smiled, "I see a great amount of potential in you, and your attitude impressed me. You care for the people, and you haven't let bitterness ruin your life. True, you are already quite skilled. But I think that you have the potential to become more." He brought his hand up and held it out to her. "What do you say?"</p><p>Blake stared at the hand for a bit, and then looked back at Chiron. "Umm, thank you very much for the offer, but can I give it some thought first?" He smiled at her again, "Of course, the offer shall remain open." She took his hand, and he brought both of them back up and they started making their way back to the orphanage. Once they reached the orphanage, he said "You can stay the evening if you'd like, and then make your way back to your base." She shook her head, "No, it'll be better if I make it back tonight. Tomorrow, I'll talk to Adam, and..." She gave a deep breath. "I'll tell him that I would like some time to myself for a bit to think about things. I'm not sure I'll accept being trained by you, but I think I will accept the offer to help out here for a little bit" He nodded, "Very well. I wish you the best of luck in that conversation."</p><p>And with that, Blake ran into the night, heading back to the White Fang base.</p><hr/><p>Chiron watched her leave and gave a sad sigh. It always hurt to see people with these kinds of problems. There was rarely an easy way to solve them, and they almost always ended badly. Some time away to think things through hopefully would help. And it would be even better if she accepted the idea of being his student. A grin grew on his face. It had been so long since he had last taught somebody like that. Teaching the orphans various classes helped quite a bit, but he had a feeling that teaching Blake would be a rare experience. He believed that she really did have the potential to reach as high as some of his other students.</p><p>And speaking of his other students, his grin grew into a smirk. He did have an ulterior motive in wanting to teach Blake. In life, he was known as the Teacher of Heroes. Many of his students went on to do great things. A few did some terrible things, but the ones that excelled went on to become amazing heroes. As he taught them, he grew bonds with them. Bonds that he could still sense on good days. And his bonds were telling him that a couple of his students had taken on students of their own, and he wanted to see who turned out better.</p><p>Chiron didn't let it come out often, but he did have a competitive streak within him.</p><hr/><p>The next evening, Chiron opened the door of the orphanage to see a bruised and cut up Blake leaning against the door, gasping for breath. "Is the offer to let me stay still open?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Investigations, Observations, and Offers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Good evenin' Missus Janis!"</p>
<p>A woman who looked to be in her 50's turned around and gave a small smile to the shopkeeper. "Good evening James. How have you been lately?"</p>
<p>"Doin' just fine missus, just fine!" The large man said with a smile. "You seem to be picking up more food than usual today, don't tell me that you're enterin' the datin' pool once more, are you?" He said, giving her a smirk.</p>
<p>Janis gave a small laugh, "Oh no, of course not James. You of all people should be aware of that. No, I have a new tenant that I am renting the flat to." She pursed her lips, "Unfortunately, he hasn't left the place since he signed the documents, so I thought I would make him a meal, see if I can force him outside. It's not healthy to be indoors all the time you know."</p>
<p>"Ah, yep. I know the type" James said with a laugh. "So, is it anybody I know? Maybe somebody I should drop in on to be makin' sure he's treatin' his landlady right?"</p>
<p>"Oh hush James, you'll do no such thing." She said after giving him a small slap. "He seems like a very nice young man, very well behaved. He's new in town, but decently well off based on his clothes." She gave a quick sigh, "I feel a bit bad though, I have several rooms he could have taken that were much nicer than the one he chose, but he was quite insistent. Said it reminded him of his old place."</p>
<p>"Huh, so what's the lad's name?" James asked</p>
<p>"Oh, it's a bit odd, never heard it before," Janis said with a small frown. "Tell you what, you can come over tonight and talk to him. I'm sure he'd be happy to have another guy to talk with."</p><hr/>
<p>A man sat cross-legged in the middle of a room. The furniture had been pushed up against the walls, leaving the middle clean and bare. Or rather, it used to be clean and bare.</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <em>
      <strong>Personal Note: The Great War -<br/>
</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
  <em>
    <strong>*Suspicious start, bad for everybody, why did it start?</strong>
  </em>
  <span>
    <em>
      <strong><br/>
</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p>Surrounding him were threads of various colors, crisscrossing themselves and connecting to various picture, news articles, and notes that he himself had written.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong><span>Personal Note: Merlot Industries</span><br/>
Suspicious lack of info for something that was so prominent in Mt Glenn before the place collapsed. Filed for later thought. </strong>
  </em>
  <span>
    <em>
      <strong><br/>
</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p>The walls were covered in notes he had taken, newspaper clippings that looked like he had removed them from a trash bin, pictures that he had printed off.</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <strong>
      <em>Overview of Grimm movements across Remnant:<br/>
</em>
    </strong>
  </span>
  <strong>
    <em>Can't put too much faith in these, the truth is probably restricted to avoid panic. But if any of this is true, this shows far too much coordination than dumb beasts.</em>
  </strong>
  <span>
    <strong>
      <em><br/>
</em>
    </strong>
  </span>
</p>
<p>The man himself had his eyes closed in though, a violin in his hands as he played a haunting melody.</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <em>
      <strong>Jacques Schnee inherits Schnee Dust Company<br/>
</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
  <em>
    <strong>Not popular at all. Why risk angering employees so?<br/>
Potential Cause: Dust is finite and running out, costs to find Dust increase, so payment to employees must decrease to keep status quo. Odds: 64% Good enough to keep. Shelve for later thought. </strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>He found himself at the city almost a week ago now, and after he got over his surprise, he immediately started looking for more information. He wasn't like other Servants. Though he could fight, it most definitely was not his forte. Furthermore, his legends didn't portray him as a fighter, but as a thinker.</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <em>
      <strong>"Come one and all to see Atlas unveil their newest robots - the Atlesian Knight-200's! Coming Soon!"<br/>
</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
  <em>
    <strong>Technology is clearly more advanced than what we are used to. And yet, less advanced in many other areas. Robotics, Dust, AI development... Is there ulterior motives? Or just survival? Dismissed for now. Note: Procure dust for personal investigation.</strong>
  </em>
  <span>
    <em>
      <strong><br/>
</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p>When first summoned, he had no doubt he was the weakest of all of the Servants. All of his main skills, and especially one his Noble Phantasms, require knowledge to work.</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <em>
      <strong>Personal Note: Sustenance<br/>
</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
  <em>
    <strong>Have not eaten in two days, and have confirmed that this body does require food in order to sustain itself. Not to the point that a human body would, but nonetheless. Will need to experiment to see if various foods give better energy than others.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Natural Insight. Hypothetical Reasoning. His Noble Phantasm. All hinge on logic. Why people act the way they do, why they do things. From that, one can make logical leaps into what they will do, or what they did. A persons history, the city's history, and the world's history, are all small pieces of the puzzle that fit into his skills.</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <em>
      <strong>Personal Note: White Fang<br/>
</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
  <em>
    <strong>Founder is retired, group has gone radical. Desired equal rights, news portrays them as wanting greater rights. Would estimate 30% are extremists currently, the rest just want to try to help. Can't do anything about this yet. </strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>It was easy enough to get some money. He picked the pockets of some thugs that thought he was an easy target, and then found a gambling establishment. It was child's play to play the odds, and he left with decent amount of cash before the establishment decided to investigate him for being too lucky.</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <em>
      <strong>"New Headmaster takes over for Beacon - Headmaster Ozpin gives a pledge to do his best to protect not only Vale, but all of Remnant"<br/>
</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
  <em>
    <strong>Interesting man. Heavily involved in many events. The Headmasters of the Hunter's Academies would know the most about Grimm. They are keeping secrets. </strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>From there he went to the libraries. He didn't have a scroll yet, but there was a very nice lady who was able to show him where he could find the things he needed. He left the place with a couple bags of printed newspaper articles and books containing the various laws of the land.</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <em>
      <strong>Personal Note: Grimm types</strong>
    </em>
  </span><br/>
<em>
    <strong>Too much variety of Grimm. Swimming, flying, ground types. Most modeled after regular animals. Why? Possible magus experiment gone wrong. Or possible magus experiment gone right. Chances of them being Natural: 4%. </strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Now that he had had the time to do some research, he could properly set up his Territory in his Mind Palace again. Since most of the memories in his Mind Palace were no longer applicable in this strange land, and he needed to start from scratch.</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <em>
      <strong>"Pyrrha Nikos has won the Mistral Regional Tournament for the third year in a row!"<br/>
</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
  <em>
    <strong>Interesting. Some influences are recognizable. Roman. Note: Look into Nikos's history. </strong>
  </em>
  <span>
    <em>
      <strong><br/>
</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p>Now he believed he had a decent amount of knowledge to activate an aspect of his Noble Phantasm. To enter his mindscape and attempt to answer a single question. Fully powered, his Noble Phantasm could take even an unsolvable mystery and place clues in the world to help him solve it. He didn't need to go quite that far at the moment. With what he was attempting, he really was just using an overpowered version of his other skills, using Natural Insight and Hypothetical Reasoning to extrapolate from his current knowledge events in the future and past, to answer a single question he had. It would be draining - he was weaker than usual here, and his knowledge was less than usual, which made it harder. He wouldn't be able to do it a lot until he gained even more info, so he had to make the question count.</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <em>
      <strong>"Murdered politician: Arthur Watts as a witness, describes the scene. Suspected Roman Torchwick"<br/>
</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
  <em>
    <strong>Lazy investigation, poor conclusion, the witness contradicts the scene. Note: Send police a letter with details. </strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>After a bit of time, he came up with a suitable answer.</p>
<p>What questions were there that he could ask?</p>
<p>Who summoned him? No, if he couldn't talk to the person, be they dead or out of reach, he would be back where he started.</p>
<p>Why was he summoned? Possible and tempting, but the potential for "worthless" answers was large. A 'whim', to save humanity, to destroy humanity. He didn't have a master, he could choose what he wanted to do. The summoner's desire mattered little in this.</p>
<p>Where did the Grimm come from? He doubted his Noble Phantasm had enough energy to determine that since he had so little knowledge of Grimm.</p>
<p>So what would be the best question to ask?</p>
<p>In the end, he wanted to help humanity to survive.</p>
<p>He stopped playing his violin and opened his eyes.</p>
<p>Staring at the array of information he had established, he placed his violin on the ground, and asked in a clear voice "Who is the person in the best position to help humanity to thrive?"</p>
<p>And as he closed his eyes again, he slowly answered back, "The answer to that, is Elementary, my dear friend..."</p>
<p>And with that, Sherlock Holmes entered his Mind Palace.</p><hr/>
<p>A few seconds to the outside world can last for several hours in the confines of ones Mind Palace. Composed of all of the knowledge he had gained, a territory protected by his skills as a Caster, and one he kept when he became a Ruler. Sherlock Holmes, the crystallization of the concept of what made a detective, could solve almost anything within his Mind Palace. For truly, it was his business to know that which other people didn't know.</p>
<p>Sherlock opened his eyes once more and stood up. Walking over to one of the newspaper clippings, he gave a small chuckle, "Well, I can't say I was expecting this." He tapped it a couple times and walked over to the newspaper piles. "I guess I better let Miss Janis know I'll be at the library later today. And maybe tomorrow. There's somebody I am going to have to research."</p>
<p>And with that he walked out of the room and locked the door. A picture of Weiss Schnee still fluttering after having been touched.</p><hr/>
<p>Weiss Schnee was walking through the empty halls of the Academy, shivering in anger. The teachers had spent a considerable amount of time trying to convince her to join Atlas Academy in eight months, and she had to endure listening to them give multiple reasons as to why Atlas Academy was better. She walked faster, her steps hitting the floor with more anger. <em>Most likely they've been bought by my father. Or maybe they are just that patriotic</em> she thought with a glare.</p>
<p>Right as she was about to leave the Academy, she heard a violin begin playing. Surprised, she stopped and listened for a little bit. She wasn't aware of anybody that could play a violin like this amongst her peers. The music sounded... lonely. Something that she sympathized with at this moment. Hesitantly, she started walking towards the sound.</p>
<p>She eventually reached the auditorium, where the doors had been flung wide open, and she saw a man on the center of the stage playing that song. She slowly walked down, but made sure to keep her distance. She didn't recognize this man after all. He looked like he was a few years older than she was, maybe in his twenties.</p>
<p>After listening to him play his song for a while she slowly relaxed. He eventually slowed down and stopped, opening his eyes to look at her.</p>
<p>She clapped for him a few times, and then asked "What song was that? I don't recognize it."</p>
<p>He looked like he was in thought for a bit, and then replied "Thank you Weiss, I actually wrote it. I think I'll name it <em>Lonely, yet Defiant</em>. Not sure how close I am to finishing the song though, so we'll see if the name changes by then."</p>
<p>As soon as he mentioned her name, it put her on guard. He clearly wasn't surprised by her presence, almost like he was expecting her here.</p>
<p>After a small standoff, she asked him "Who are you, and how did you get in here?" The doors required a pass key that only students and teachers had after all, and teachers did walk the halls to prevent miscreants from entering.</p>
<p>The man shrugged, "My name is Sherlock Holmes." He stepped off of the stage and sat down at one of the seats. "I actually just walked in before the door could close all of the way. The teacher walking the halls suddenly had something he needed to check halfway through his conversation with me," A small smirk appeared on his face. "I might have said something that concerned him..."</p>
<p>Weiss sat for a little bit, stunned that he actually told her all of that. She quickly stood up and started walking out of the auditorium while keeping an eye on him. "Well then, if that is the case, what are you doing here telling me this? Knowing of course that I am going to tell security right away..."</p>
<p>Sherlock looked remarkable unconcerned with what she was saying, and calmly said "Are you aware of what an Arma Gigas is?"</p>
<p>She looked at him oddly, "It's an early robot design, looks like a giant knight. There's currently one in the Schnee Museum. What does that have anything to do with this?"</p>
<p>He straightened his jacket as he stood up, looking at her in the eyes. "Your father dislikes the idea of you going to Beacon instead of Atlas. He intends to create a little test for you. He's looking for ways to procure a possession type Grimm, such as a Geist, and will have it possess an Arma Gigas. Then, he will tell you that you must destroy the thing. If you fail, then you will be forced to attend Atlas Academy."</p>
<p>Weiss felt like she had been punched. And the thing was, she could totally see it happening. That sort of thinking would totally be in line with what her <em>father </em>would do. Although even if it was the case, that didn't answer everything... "So what's that to you? Why would you care? And how would you even learn that information?" <em>And where the heck were the professors? </em></p>
<p>Sherlock nodded at her questions. "I don't expect you to believe me right away. I recommend that you look for some answers yourself. Maybe ask your sister, Winter, if she has heard anything. She might try to talk you out of going to Beacon, but she won't play any underhanded games with you."</p>
<p>She gave him another glare, "I am aware of that, I know my sister! And I notice you haven't told me where you heard about it."</p>
<p>He gave her another nod. "Good. Not saying you don't, just making a statement. As for where I heard about it?" He let out an explosive breath. "The teachers are all complaining about your attitude and decisions, I think they mentioned the word 'rebel' quite a few times" he said with a smirk. "It was fairly easy to eavesdrop on them in the bars they frequent. They complained because they couldn't get you to do what your father wanted you to do."</p>
<p>She stiffened in anger at this, <em>I knew it!</em></p>
<p>He continued. "During that conversation, they let slip that he wasn't surprised by this. And yet, at the last fancy dinner that he and General Ironwood had, he expressed his desires for the General to keep a spot open on the roster for you, according to the waiters. So clearly he has something in the works. Digging through your family's trash, I found several bags of shredded paper. Putting them together, I can see he has made requests to use an Armas Gigas for a project of his, and another request of his was for the military to try to find a Grimm that could possess an armament or robot."</p>
<p>She listened to his explanation in surprise and shock that he went to that length for this.</p>
<p>"Now, that was the brief version of what I went through, but I think that it gets the point across." he said, while giving her a small smile.</p>
<p>Once she found her voice again, she asked "Don't think I haven't noticed that you haven't explained why you are so invested in this. You are a stranger, and shouldn't have any interest in this."</p>
<p>He kept up his smile. "Actually, that's pretty easy to explain. I think we can help each other."</p>
<p>Her eyes shot wide open. She definitely was not expecting that. "Help each other? How?"</p>
<p>He gave a shrug. "I want information. Information that you have easy access to, what with your connections. Nothing secret or confidential, just stuff that I can't get my hands on very easily. In return, I would like to teach you."</p>
<p>Her look turned incredulous. "You? Teach me? And what exactly do you think that you could teach me?"</p>
<p>He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a paper. "Do you know how many weak points there are in a standard Atlesian mecha soldier?"</p>
<p>Weiss thought about it for a second, "I imagine there would only be a couple."</p>
<p>He tossed her the paper. Catching it, she looked at it suspiciously before opening it up to see roughly drawn pictures of the outside of the mecha soldier... along with hand drawn notes specifying 32 weak points and vulnerabilities that could be exploited. She looked up at him in shock. "How did you get this?"</p>
<p>He shrugged. "Figured it out myself. Read the technical journal that came out for it and observed a few videos of them fighting. Wasn't too difficult at all. You could say that it was quite, elementary." He chuckled to himself as if he had said a private joke. "Anyways, although I do know a few fighting styles that could benefit you, I think that the most valuable thing I can teach you is how to observe things like I do. How to observe the enemy, figure out why he does what he does, and from that, create a battle plan to defeat him. Also, I will throw in the designs for the Arma Gigas, and explain what you need to do to defeat it. And if I am wrong?" He gave a scoff, as if such a thing would never happen. "What I teach you should be able to help you defeat whatever it is that your father throws at you."</p>
<p>She stared at him for a while. On one hand, this man was suspicious, but it didn't seem like he was lying, and if correct... It could really give her an edge.</p>
<p>He spoke up once more "No need to decide now. Talk with your sister, see if she is aware of the Arma Gigas plan. Here," He brings out a paper and writes an address on it. "You can find me at this address if you are interested. Any training that I give can be done in public locations, well within any bodyguard that you feel like bringing, or amongst any crowds that you feel like."</p>
<p>She gave him a slow nod, "Thank you. I shall look over your story, and give you my decision later." She looked at the address. <em>221B Armas Lane? </em></p>
<p>She then walked out of the room, making sure to keep him in plain sight. She wasn't a fool, and this offer came at a very convenient time. She would give it a lot of thought before she decided anything. She wasn't sure about the training he was talking about, but the weaknesses of the Arma Gigas could be very useful. She then started walking towards the Schnee Manor, hoping that Winter would be available for a talk.</p><hr/>
<p>Sherlock calmly watched her as she exited the building. Yes, he was aware that what he did was very suspicious. But there wasn't ANY good way for this to go. As it stands, he was able to give her the info, and make the offer to her. He's letting her contact him, and given her explanations on how he found everything, and was upfront in what he wanted. Honestly, this was about as good as it was going to get he believed. He started walking out of the school and to his flat. Miss Janis was very insistent that he have dinner with her and one of her shopkeeper friends, and he was very much aware that it was never a good idea to upset your landlady, giving a small laugh as he remembered Mrs. Hudson.</p>
<p>Training Weiss in observing people will also help her in understanding other people a bit. With any luck, he'd be able to help her with some of that trauma she has.</p>
<p>He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He couldn't get ahead of himself, she still might refuse. In which case, he needed to come up with a plan on what he would do...</p>
<p>No, this certainly wasn't what he thought would happen when he used his Noble Phantasm, but he would take it. This gives him a goal to work towards, and he'd be helping somebody who was in a position to do quite a bit of good in the future.</p>
<p>He gave a small smile as he walked back to his flat, saying softly to himself "The game is afoot. Not a word, and into your clothes and come!", and he slowly disappeared walking down the street.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Regarding the answer Sherlock got from his Noble Phantasm, I will specify that it gave him the answer based off of all of the information that it knew and could extrapolate. If he had information from all over Remnant, his Noble Phantasm might have said that Ruby was the best person.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Reunion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"C'mon Renny! I think I heard people over here!"</p><p>"Nora! Wait! Chasing after sounds of fighting in the forest is NOT something that we should be doing!"</p><p>Nora Valkyrie only pauses briefly, "But what if they need help? Then we could swoop in and save them! Like knights in armor!"</p><p>Lie Ren slowly catches up with her, breathing heavily before replying. "We don't know that though, and we're not Huntsmen yet! We've just barely submitted our application to Beacon. If the situation is bad, then jumping in without thinking about it will end badly for us."</p><p>Nora looked down sadly. "I know, but..." She looks at him with big eyes. "I can't leave knowing that we might have saved somebody from the Grimm..."</p><p>Ren looked at her for a few seconds before giving in. "Ok Nora, how about we get closer and see what the situation is, and then make a decision, ok?"</p><p>"YES! I knew you would agree with me!" Nora leapt up and gave Ren a crushing hug. "Let's hurry and save the damsels in distress!"</p><p>And with that, Nora took off with Ren over her shoulder. Ren just lay there, recovering from her hug. He had known her for a long time, but that hadn't made him immune to Nora's style of affection just yet.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>How long had he searched?</em>
</p><p>He parried an attack, quickly countering the claws and ripping into the side of a nightmarish boar.</p><p>
  <em>How many battlefields had he traveled for this moment?</em>
</p><p>He threw his blades and quickly traced some more, not even looking to see if the prior blades had found their targets.</p><p>
  <em>He no longer cared. Being with her here, right now? That made it all worth it.</em>
</p><p>He quickly traced a barrage of nameless blades and fired them off, giving both of them some breathing room for a bit.</p><p>
  <em>Years before, his priorities had changed. Before, he would be helpful and gave a helping hand to everybody for its sake alone. After he had met her and, more importantly, after she had disappeared from his sight, it had changed slightly. From then on he strived endlessly to be worthy of her.</em>
</p><p>As he dodged the tusks of another ghoulish creature, he twisted to see her out of the corner of his eye. He knew that she was capable, more so than even he was, but he still worried after her. Just as he knew that she worried after him. And so, on this battleground of fell beasts, they danced.</p><p>
  <em>He used to be hopeless at fighting. She had started training him after a foolish action on his part. He had gotten much better since then. And now, even though they hadn't fought together in so very long, their actions flowed together.</em>
</p><p>Sometimes his swords would complement her attacks, protecting her back and shifting alongside of her as she moved. Other times, his storm of swords are what guided her, creating openings for her to unleash her powerful attacks.</p><p>Back and forth they moved, with utmost faith in each other.</p><p>
  <em>Before, he was too weak, and he held her back despite his own desires. Now, after years of hard work and effort, he was finally able to stand besides her and work with her, to fulfill the oath that he had made to her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He was her sheath, and she was his sword.</em>
</p><p>The swords inside of him stirred. Just as he was her sword, he considered all of the swords within him to be at her disposal as well. Even though he and they were weaker at the moment, he would do whatever it took to ensure that she survived. Just as he was aware that she would do the same for him.</p><p>He wasn't sure how it had happened. If this was something caused by Zelretch, he would thank the vampire with tears in his eyes, just so long as they got to stay together.</p><p>They were surrounded by Grimm, creatures of darkness that fed off of the darker of human emotions and whom wanted nothing more than to rip them apart. Yet despite this, there is no other place that Shirou would rather be.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>How long had she waited?</em>
</p><p>She quickly cut down one of the twisted wolves in front of her, moving swiftly to block another as it came from the side.</p><p>
  <em>She had spent only a short time with him when she compared it against her whole life, but it was while she was with him that she was happiest she had ever been.</em>
</p><p>She shifted to the side and allowed a barrage of swords to slice through several charging boars.</p><p>
  <em>Her whole life had been in the service of others. She knew from the time she was a kid that she was to be the next king. She devoted the entirety of her adult life to trying to be a good king and to helping the kingdom thrive.</em>
</p><p>He created an opening against one of the snake creatures, and she leapt in and took off one of the heads with ease.</p><p>
  <em>When her kingdom fell, she had been crushed. All of the effort she had put in, and she still wasn't good enough to save her kingdom. Her people had suffered because of her she believed, and she wanted nothing more than to change it. To let somebody else have been king instead of her. And then she had met him. A foolish boy, who ran into combat without thinking, causing her no end of grief. He believed in her, had faith in her, even when she didn't have it herself.</em>
</p><p>She saw him start a move, and she instinctively moved to back him up.</p><p>
  <em>They were both the same, in a way. Both desired more than anything to help others, at the cost of their own happiness and health. They still did, actually. There was just one person that was at the top of the list of people to help.</em>
</p><p>She jumped back, seeing Shirou leap over her to attack the Creeper that had launched itself at her.</p><p>
  <em>She still remembered the words Merlin told her so long ago. That reuniting with Shirou would be difficult, and almost impossible. For it to happen, two miracles needed to happen in order for them to meet again. One had to wait continuously, while the other must pursue endlessly. Acknowledging that it was impossible to succeed, and yet enduring through it patiently.</em>
</p><p>She employed her Mana Burst and destroyed the creatures coming up to Shirou's side, stopping once she was at his back, and readied her sword once more.</p><p>
  <em>She didn't know how long she waited for. And during that time, she had no guarantee that Shirou would continue. After so much time with no results, who wouldn't be tempted to falter? But she had seen his determination, and his willpower. She was sure he would continue, and she would make sure that she was there waiting for him when he arrived. It was he that helped her feel once again, and it was for him that she would be selfish for.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She chuckled, Rider might have had more of an impact than she thought he did.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And now her waiting was at an end. She was finally with him again. She wasn't sure if this was simply the result of them finally finding each other, or if Merlin had done something. If he had, she could never thank him enough. True, she wasn't expecting to meet in the middle of battle, but she didn't mind. As long as he was with her, Arturia Pendragon would help him take on anything that dared challenge them.</em>
</p><hr/><p>After the battle ended they stared at each other for a while, almost not believing that they were finally together. Something broke, and the rushed each other and they latched onto each other, and they stayed like that for a while. After a while though,</p><p>"WOW! That was amazing!" Nora came rushing over to where the two of them were standing, looking at them with shining eyes as she dashed around them. "You were all like, whoosh! And Bam! Who are you guys? Are you Hunters? Why don't you have any guns? Are you guys together? Like, together together?"</p><p>Both Shirou and Arturia blushed and jumped back a little bit. Not willing to forego contact completely they still held hands, but now their attention was on this girl that had popped up.</p><p>"NORA!" Another person came running up, and Shirou blinked in surprise. His outfit, and he himself, looked Chinese, which he hadn't expected.</p><p>Ren made it to Nora and the two warriors, having to catch his breath once more. "Nora! you can't just -" Only to have Nora interrupt him, "Ren! What took you? I was wondering if you got lost!"</p><p>Ren stared at her, which she just replied with a bright smile back at him, to which he then gave a sigh. He turned back to the two warriors.</p><p>"I apologize for Nora" "Hey! What's that suppos-...!" Ren quickly placed his hand over her mouth. "She is very excitable."</p><p>Arturia smiled at him, "It is no problem, neither of us mind at all. Are you two from around here?"</p><p>Ren nodded, "Yes, we're from the village just south of here. We were travelling through the woods and heard the sounds of your combat, and Nora wanted to investigate it."</p><p>Nora removed his hand. "Yeah, but you guys clearly didn't need any help. We got here just in time to see you guys beat the last of them and start booping."</p><p>Shirou turned red and sputtered a bit, "We started what?!"</p><p>Before Nora could go off again, Ren stepped in. "We probably shouldn't be out here for long. We need to head back to the village. Where are you guys staying?"</p><p>"Ummm…" Shirou glanced at Arturia. "We're actually pretty new around here, and haven't had much of a chance to set up anywhere. Would it be alright if we followed you to your village?"</p><p>Ren was surprised. Their current village was the only one that was decently close by. Why were they here hunting Grimm if they hadn't set up lodgings yet?</p><p>Nora answered "Sure! we don't mind at all! And you could stay at our place! I mean, sure, it's a bit small and cramped and not much stuff, but it's got a kitchen! And pancakes! Uh, the pancakes are for me, not for you though... It'll be like a sleepover!"</p><p>"Nora, I doubt that these two would like to stay at our place, they'll probably want to purchase a room at the inn for a night." Ren said.</p><p>Arturia coughed into her hand, her cheeks blushing a little bit. "Actually, we don't really have any money either..."</p><p>Ok, now Ren was surprised. They were clearly powerful individuals. Why would they not have money?</p><p>Nora was too busy being excited about the sleepover. "Sweet! That means that you guys totally have to come over! C'mon!" And with that, she grabbed hold of Arturia and started pulling her along. Arturia was startled at the young girls strength, and let herself be pulled away towards the village, while Shirou and Ren looked at the scene in surprise.</p><p>Ren eventually inclined his head to where they had gone, "Well, shall we go?"</p><p>Shirou chuckled, "I guess we don't have a choice anymore. Are you sure you're parents won't mind?"</p><p>They started walking back, and Ren gave a sad smile. "I'm afraid that both Nora and I are orphans, so there isn't any parents to worry about. The village gives us a small portion of money each month, and we use that to pay for what we need."</p><p>"Ah, I see." Shirou gave a small bow. "I apologize for bringing it up."</p><p>Ren gave a bow back, "No, it's no problem."</p><p>"C'mon Renny! You're being slow again!"</p><p>Shirou and Ren chuckled a little as the girl shouted at them, already a decent ways ahead of them.</p><p>"Well, I guess we better go get our girls" Shirou said, and Ren blushed a little, quickly stammering out a "W-w-we're not actually together-together you know..."</p><p>Shirou gave him a skeptical look, and then chuckled, "Sure you aren't."</p><hr/><p>They met up with the girls, and eventually made it back to the village, and then to Ren and Nora's apartment. Walking in, they saw that it contained mostly the bare necessities, though Shirou did brighten a bit when he saw that the kitchen looked stocked.</p><p>Nora plopped down on one of the couches with a sigh. "Ren, I'm hungry. Make me food, your Queen demands it." Ren looked at her incredulously. "Why are you acting so tired? We didn't do anything that strenuous."</p><p>She shrugged, her face still facing down on the couch. "Lunch was a long time ago. Now go, feed your Queen."</p><p>Ren chuckled and headed towards the kitchen. Shirou smiled at the display, and then looked towards Arturia. "Well your Majesty?" He teased "Would you like me to make a meal for you as well?" Despite him having initialized the teasing, Shirou still had a blush on his face that matched Arturia's.</p><p>She smiled slightly with reddened cheeks. "If you wouldn't mind." And Shirou stood up and walked to the kitchen with Ren as they started discussing what to make.</p><p>Nora looked up from the couch and glanced at her. "So what were you guys doing all the way out there? I mean, the scenery is nice I suppose, but surrounded by dead Grimm is an odd place to start booping."</p><p>"W-why do you keep calling it that? We were just g-giving each other a hug!" Arturia muttered.</p><p>"Yep! That's what I said!" Nora said cheerfully. "Was it a secret meeting? Are you guys eloping? Or did you already elope? Is Shirou trying to win your heart by killing tons of Grimm?!"</p><p>"No! No, it's nothing like that at all." Arturia said desperately. Not that she could say that Shirou already won her heart. Not without talking about it with him first. "The truth is... We've been separated for a while, and it was by coincidence that we found each other there. After we defeated the Grimm we were so happy to see each other again."</p><p>"Huh, ok! How about..."</p><p>And Nora continued to interrogate Arturia about a great variety of topics until Ren and Shirou finished dinner and brought it to them, and Nora's mouth was too busy eating. By that time, Arturia was mentally exhausted.</p><p>As they were eating, Ren asked "So what are your plans for the future?"</p><p>Shirou and Arturia glanced at each other once more, before Arturia replied. "We're not sure actually. We'll need money before we can actually go anywhere, so we'll probably stay in town and try to find something to do first."</p><p>Ren nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I work at a diner further in the village. Based on how well Shirou can cook, I think they'd be willing to hire him. Also, town hall occasionally gives out bounties to various Grimm in the area. They usually reserve those requests for Hunters, but you guys seem capable enough to take them as well."</p><p>Shirou thought about it, and gave a nod. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. Work at the diner for regular money, and then collect bounties when they come up."</p><p>Nora butted in at this point, "Yep! And while you're doing that, you can stay with us! At least, until we got to Beacon. Unless you guys go to Beacon as well! Then we could all go and be on one big team and crush all the other teams!" She cheered at his, bringing up her large warhammer in declaration.</p><p>Arturia looked at them in confusion. "Beacon? Why are you going there? Wouldn't Haven be closer for you guys?"</p><p>Ren gave a nod, "That is correct. However, Beacon has better scholarships that we can apply for, and we could use the extra money."</p><p>"Yep!" Nora cheered, "The pancake funds need to stay full!"</p><p>Ren stared for a bit, and then looked at Shirou and Arturia. "... Yes, what she said."</p><p>"Ah, I see." Shirou said with a smile.</p><p>"Do you two plan on going to Haven to become huntsman? Is that why you were asking about it? Or are you already Huntsman and you're trying to recruit us to go to Haven?" Nora continued to shoot of questions, causing the rest of them to chuckle.</p><p>"No, we aren't Huntsman, and aren't actually planning on going to any of the academies. We've, uh, already been trained to fight quite a bit, and I doubt that there is much that the academy would be able to teach us." Shirou admitted.</p><p>"Really? We should fight! Then you can tell me how I can be better! I mean, I already know I'm awesome, 'cause I'm me! But you guys are also awesome fighters, which means that if we fight together than I'll be even more awesome!" Nora cheered,</p><p>Ren spoke up, trying to diffuse her excitement, "Nora, you can't just decide that for them, they might have other things that they have to do!"</p><p>Arturia smiled, though she tried to hide it behind her hand. "Truly, we don't mind sparring with you and giving you pointers. I usually work with a sword or a spear, but I have been trained with warhammers before, so I could give some tips in that."</p><p>"I use dual weapons like Ren here, so I can give him some advice on that." Shirou said, his eyes glazing briefly as he looked through Unlimited Bladeworks. "I also should be able to dredge up some advice regarding warhammers to help Nora out."</p><p>"Really?!" "Oomph!" Nora enveloped both of them in a huge hug. "That would be amazing! Thank you thank you thank you!"</p><p>Ren chuckled at the scene for a bit, "Yes, we're both really grateful for the offer, but are you sure that we won't be imposing on you guys?"</p><p>"Nah" Shirou denied, "You can consider it thanks for letting us stay over at your place. We're very grateful."</p><p>"I see" Ren said with a smile and a bow, "So long everybody is grateful, I suppose I can't complain."</p><hr/><p>After that they cleaned up the dishes, and prepared some beds for the other two.</p><p>Normally Ren would be a little more suspicious about these two people. They clearly weren't telling the full truth of what was going on. However, Nora trusted them, and she was usually more intuitive than she appeared. Furthermore, he just got the sense from them that they were trustworthy. Something about the kind aura that Shirou had, and the noble aura that Arturia exuded.</p><p>He couldn't help but feel happy about the situation. For a while, it had just been him and Nora. While he would never regret being there for Nora, and vice versa, he was grateful to meet with other people who were willing to be friends with them. Perhaps they would open up eventually. Until then, he would let things lie and enjoy their company.</p><p>Meanwhile, Arturia and Shirou slept next to each other, once again just happy for the opportunity to see each other, and both optimistic about what the future might bring.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Authors Notes:</p><p>So, this chapter was a bit self-indulgent on my part. Trying to find a story in which Shirou and Arturia live happily together is one of the reasons I originally found fanfiction. Their story just made me feel sad, so I have this need to try to correct it to make them happy. Hopefully everybody is alright with this pairing. Also, I'm sure that I surprised a lot of people with having Ren and Nora meet with them. This is actually something that I debated about with myself for a while. I think Shirou would have done great if I had had him mentor Ruby or Velvet (Penny was also a contender, but I have somebody better to place with her.) Ruby with her similar ideals, and Velvet with her similar abilities. Like I said, I spent a good amount of time debating it, and I felt that this one had a lot of potential and I wanted to see how it would go. I'm curious to hear everybody's thoughts on how they think it went.</p><p>Additionally, I wanted to answer some questions I saw.</p><p>Will Chaldea appear?<br/>Nope, I have no plans for Chaldea to appear. This is purely a 'Heroic' Spirit affair, for reasons that will eventually be explained. </p><p>Perimeter: Will you be revisiting other previous servants or will previous servants only be offhandedly referenced?<br/>I will be revisiting some of the previous servants. I do have a plan for that. First, I want to finish writing up the 'mentor' spirit chapters. Maybe a couple more heroes, as well as a few villains. Right now, the timespan of these chapters since chapter 1 have all been within a week or two of each other. After I get to around chapter 10 (emphasis on around... That's not in stone) there shall be a time-skip, and then I'll go over some of the previous servants. Some will still only be referenced offhandedly until their time, such as Medusa and her sisters. </p><p>That's all for now. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Robbing the Robbers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ebon Sturge was the leader of a decent sized bandit group. He was a large man, standing almost 7 feet with a face that looked like it had been introduced to many a fist. He had gone through military training in Atlas before deserting, and he used that training to help his men. In his group, he demanded discipline, order, and strict obedience. In return, he gave them results. Practicing banditry in this day and age was a difficult endeavor, with Huntsmen with super-powers, corrupted animals that could sense dark emotions, and other bandit groups that would love to take his own on, he personally felt justified in saying that he and his men earned everything that they stole.</p><p>He made sure that he and his men followed certain rules. The first one - avoid killing people, if at all possible. When you start killing people, than people who knew them started getting antsy and were willing to put out rewards and such for the removal of him and his men. Additionally, by killing him you kill a source of income. A caravan that's been completely wiped out is a caravan that's not coming through that area again! And that goes into rule two - never steal everything. You've gotta think long term. If you steal everything, that caravan is unlikely to come through the area again. But, if you only steal a portion, than they're more likely to come back again and you can rob them again.</p><p>It's a lot like caring for animals really, Ebon thought to himself.</p><p>Of course, they had to be fast in order to avoid the Grimm. Whenever they attacked, the Grimm would sense the emotions of those they were attacking, giving them a narrow window of opportunity to escape with whatever they've gotten.</p><p>Then of course there is rule three. Never mess with the Branwen clan. He had never met them personally before, but he had a vague idea of where they usually raided, and he made sure to stay away from it. He had no doubt in his mind that he and his group would be demolished without mercy, and he preferred to live, thank you very much.</p><p>All of this just emphasized the need for discipline amongst the men. Which was why he was staring coldly at the group of men that come back.</p><p>There had been reports of a caravan going through the area, and he sent some of his men to raid it. Meanwhile, he started to direct the rest of his men to start taking down the camp so they could relocate. This would be the fourth large raid in this area, and he always made sure to move the group after a time. It wouldnt do for a Huntsman to get curious and notice a pattern.</p><p>It shouldn't have taken too long. Less than an hour to get to the ambush spot, a bit more than an hour to get back, and the fighting wouldn't take that long either. So, after three hours had passed, he felt justified in being nervous, and he pushed his men to pack things up faster.</p><p>Then, the scouts reported that the men were almost back, and he breathed a sigh of relief.</p><p>Of course, when he actually saw them come through the gates, that breath of relief died in his lungs, while the rest of the bandits were trying to hold in their snickering.</p><p>They didn't have any supplies, and after looking at then he could tell that they had been in a fight of some kind, seeing the nicks and scratches, as well as several of the men needing to be supported by others.</p><p>The reason he could see said scratches so easily? Each man had only their skivvies and boots on.</p><p>Faces red with embarrassment and frustration, the men made straight to the tents before Ebon barked out an order to stand in front of him and give a report.</p><p>After some shuffling and muttering they did so, eventually forming a line.</p><p>Ebon looked at them impassively. "Well?"</p><p>One of the men took a step forward, "Sir, we were ambushed before we reached the ambush point."</p><p>He stiffened, "By whom?" <em>Most people would just kill us, not... humiliate them like this.</em></p><p><em>The man winced</em>. "We... arent quite sure sir. We never saw them."</p><p>Ebon stared at the man. "Explain."</p><p>The man wetted his lips, "About five minutes from the ambush point, we found ourselves under attack from somebody shooting arrows. After dodging the first wave, we -"</p><p>"Wait" another bandit interrupted, "you got your butts kicked by sonebody shooting twigs at you? not bullets?"</p><p>This caused a wave of laughter to go through the men before Ebon silenced it with a glare, then gestured at the man.</p><p>He took a deep breath. "We took refuge behind the trees after the first wave and tried to locate the archer. Unfortunately, another archer must jave been in the trees, and we were soon under fire from a different direction. At first we thought that they were just bad aims, but we soon realized that he wasnt aiming for us really," and the man grimaced. "He was aiming at our clothes and guns. Turns out that they were actually really good aims... They managed to get close enough to cut the clothes, but not enough to damage us."</p><p>"A few of the men" He gestured to the men that needes to be supported, "Realized they weren't trying to hurt us, and so they charged in their direction. It didn't quite work."</p><p>One of the other men spoke up, "It'sh not our fault!" He stumbled forward, his voice slightly slurred and his eyes bloodshot. "The cowardsh w-w-wouldn't fashe us in acthual combat! We woulda gotsh them if they did! Washn't honorable, what he did!" He then started mumbling about something that couldn't be made out.</p><p>Ebon frowned heavily at the new speaker, before looking at the original, who shrugged. "It appears that he poisons his arrows with some kind of drug. Believe it or not, they started getting better about half an hour ago. After six of our men fell this way, we started running back to camp here." He sighed, "The archers continued on until they managed to cut off most of the clothing on us. However, after we started retreating, most of the men could've sworn they heard a male laughing somewhere in the woods." He grimaced. "That's about all that we have on that."</p><p>Ebon took a deep breath, furiously thinking. Eventually he came to a conclusion, and started shouting out orders. "Continue breaking down the camp! Scouts, keep an eye out and stay close to the camp. IF ANY signs of these archers are heard, seen, or even SMELT, I want a warning. Get these drunken fools something to counteract those drugs! We're moving in three hours, now GO!"</p><p>As everybody ran to follow those orders, Ebon looked pensively at the forest. <em>The archers most likely knew where they were now.</em> He cursed under his breath and quickly assisted in finishing packing everything. After being humiliated and frustrated like that, the Grimm should have been all over them, yet the men hadn't seen anything. This most likely meant that the archers were killing the Grimm to allow the bandits through. The only reason he could think of for doing that would be to see where the bandits were stationed.</p><p>He growled under his breath. This wasn't ideal in any form, but he didn't see any choice. One of the safe locations that they picked out was highly defensible. They'd go there and bunker down for a while. See what comes.</p><p>A short while later they started moving out. Nobody noticing the man wearing a green and brown cloak, watching them.</p><p>Nor did they notice a lone crow listening in on the conversation and begin flapping away.</p><hr/><p>Qrow flew to the nearest village, Hertstone, deep in thought. <em>So, we've got some vigilantes out here. </em>It wasn't any information that Ozpin had asked for, but it was interesting all the same. Last he had checked, he wasn't aware of any Hunter that used bows and arrows for combat. Or for anything else for that matter! It just wasn't very practical when guns did more damage, and ammo wasn't that expensive. <em>Well, </em>he amended, <em>for Hunters anyway.</em> The common citizen might have some difficulty in getting some. Perhaps that's who the archers were, a group of concerned citizens.</p><p>He had waited around the bandits area until they had started moving, and he made a guess as to where they would end up, resolving to let the village leader know about the threat and that they should avoid that area.</p><p>Qrow flew into town and transformed behind the bar. He was done travelling for the day, and was very much ready for a good meal, a soft bed, and some booze. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He'd been flying non-stop for most of the day, only stopping and resting while he was eavesdropping on the bandits and stalking them, and the fatigue and hunger was starting to get to him.</p><p>Walking into the bar, he saw it was decently filled, and he immediately made his way to the bartender. After ordering, Qrow started talking to the guy, trying to get a feel for the town, and got a surprise of his own. Apparently this town had developed a bit of a guardian angel.</p><p>"That's right" the bartender said. "For the past week and a half, Grimm attacks have died down, which has definitely improved morale. The last caravan made it through without any trouble. And just a half hour ago, somebody dumped more than a dozen weapons and ammo in front of town hall. Guards claimed that they didn't see anybody." He snorted, "Most likely the lot of them were asleep. Despite that, those guns and ammo will be a great help for our village."</p><p>"Huh, yeah, I imagine they would" Qrow said thoughtfully. <em>Well, sounds like the vigilante archers do live in town. Didn't expect to find that out this quickly though...</em></p><p>"Anyways" the bartender said, "My shift is just about done. ROBIN! Get in here and take over." "Yes sir!"</p><p>The bartender looked at Qrow and gave him a nod. "Please enjoy your time in our village." and walked out, just as a tall, lanky young faunus with orange hair and fox ears walked in and started working the bar.</p><hr/><p>Robin looked at the strange Hunter at the bar after he helped out a couple customers. There was something about him that seemed familiar... He thinks he felt it in the forest while he was spying on the bandits. But that couldn't be it, he had ran as fast as he could to get back into town after seeing the bandit's new base. He knew Hunters were fast, but he was still pretty sure that as an Archer, who happened to be a trained druid, he was faster in the forest.</p><p>He shook his head. Those were questions he could think about later. He had other things to think about.</p><p>Like what to do about those bandits.</p><p>He hadn't killed any of them, because despite the fact that they were bandits, they weren't nearly as bad as they could be. They avoided killing, and generally just specialized in "smash and grab" tactics. It could be MUCH worse. As it was, the bandits were actually attracting some of the Grimm presence, which kept some of it off of the town. He really just attacked them today because he wanted to see how much of a challenge they put up. He wasn't even planning on using any of his poisons or drugs until that one man spoke up.</p><p>"<em>Get down here and fight like a man you coward!"</em></p><p>Hmph. Ironic, hearing that from a bandit. Honor certainly didn't seem to help anybody stay alive, and Pride certainly wasn't going to step up and assist, so what good were they to him? He specialized in traps and poisons. Why would anybody think that he would play fair when that was his specialty? He gave a self-mocking small laugh.</p><p>Even if he drugged some of them, he didn't want to kill them. No, if they died, then it might create a power vacuum in the area, and another bandit group might try to take up residence that had worse policies. <em>Well, I guess that settles that then. It's a</em> <em>far better idea to let them do their own thing and stop them every one in a while.</em> Who knows? His efforts might aggravate them enough to convince them to turn to an honest lifestyle... He chuckled. Not that he believed that, but it was certainly possible. If they get more violent in the future, he'd think about the problem again.</p><p>He sighed. He was still so very confused as to what was going on, but at least he could continue to help people. Just in a different location than when he was alive. Hopefully he'll have better results than when he was alive as well...He grimaced at that thought.</p><p>All he really ever wanted was to live a quiet life. Unfortunately, he couldn't just sit back when others were suffering. So he took up the bow, and became the nameless sniper, to give others the quiet life he couldn't have. Eventually, the villagers had given him the name of a famous outlaw that also used a bow, and the name stuck, even to the point of him being summoned as the incarnation of that famous outlaw.</p><p>He didn't mind too much. He would continue to do what he could to help this village thrive. At least this time the villagers didn't dislike him, and they probably wouldn't turn against him either, since the main threats in this area are the Grimm and bandits.</p><p><em>Well,</em> he drooped. <em>They mostly didn't dislike him, anyways.</em></p><p>Now he was depressed again. He didn't mind being summoned as a Hero in this strange land, and he didn't mind picking up the bow to help the people again. He welcomed it! Not having any information was annoying, but something he could work around. However, in all of this, he had one very important question.</p><p>Robin Hood, the chivalrous thief, trained druid, and mysterious Green Man of the Forest, looked at the mirror on the wall. "<em>Why was I summoned as a fox faunus?!"</em></p><hr/><p>Qrow looked over at the faunus bartender again. Poor kid seemed to be going through some rough mood swings from the look of it. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. It wasn't any of his business. He had more important things to do. Like get his next drink. "Bartender!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Authors Notes:</p><p>For those who are curious why I made Robin Hood a fox faunus, I blame Disney. :)</p><p>That's all for now. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. A New Shield Forged</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Brighthaven was a decent sized settlement near the Eastern edge of Vale. With the forests to the west, and very close to the cliffs to the east, it made for a more defensible spot against the Grimm. Currently the sun was setting, creating a beautiful contrast between the green of the trees and the red sky. A small ways from town was a clearing in the forest, with a person looking intently at their scroll.</p><p>Jaune looked through the manual on his scroll once more, trying to make note of each position. Then, he took up his sword and shield and started swinging, grunting after each move that had been drawn in the pamphlet.</p><p><em>"Ok"</em> he thought as he repeated the moves, <em>"I just need to get this down."</em> grunt <em>"After I get into Beacon, I'll just act confidant, keep my eyes out"</em> grunt <em>"And I'll pick up tips and tricks from the other students!"</em></p><p>He still felt guilty about having to forge an application in order to get into Beacon... But it wasn't his fault! He just knew that if he had been through training when he was younger that he would be an epic fighter!</p><p>His dad had always told him how important it was to protect his family, but when Jaune had expressed the urge to become a Huntsman a couple years prior, his dad was almost furious at the thought! He shivered. Now he just refused to train him. Not that he's going to let that stop him! He was going to prove to his dad that he could be a hero!</p><p>He had grown up hearing the stories of his great-great-grandfather, and about how he had been a hero in the Great War. His own father was an extremely strong hunter as well! And then when you add in the majority of his sisters? Surely some of that strength came through the family genes, and since he was family, that meant that he could be just as strong, if not stronger!</p><p><em>"Ok, sure",</em> he told himself. "<em>You haven't exactly done a great job in the past with fighting, what with the bullying... And that one time your dad did try to teach you to use a sword, and you accidently dropped it and it landed on your foot... But that's all in the past, and IF he had pushed for it, then he surely would be a top tier fighter!"</em></p><p>Thus reassured, he threw himself into his training.</p><p>A couple hours into his training and Jaune finally stopped and put down the sword and shield, doing a few quick stretches for his aching muscles.</p><p><em>That should be enough for now. </em>he thought as he did various stretches. <em>I'll just do that every day I can, and then when the time to enter Beacon comes I should be able to sl-</em>aaAAHHHH!" His thoughts came jumbling to a halt and turned into a vocal scream. As he was stretching his back he had looked behind himself, and saw that he was being watched.</p><p><em>"Nononononononono! If he tells my dad, my sisters, or worse, my MOM, they'll be soooo pissed off at me! I've gotta distract him!" </em>He thought frantically, and his mind latched onto the first brilliant excuse he could think of. "<em>I just have to keep calm, not say anything stupid, and I'll be good. Be confident!"</em></p><p>"Oh, hi there! Umm, lovely weather we're having tonight, a-am I right?" He said with sheepish smile, mentally facepalming. "<em>Aaand objective: don't say anything stupid is a failure... K, just don't look it, and it'll be alright" </em>It was only when the stranger started laughing that he became focused enough to look at him.</p><p>He was surprisingly young. If Jaune had to guess, he would say maybe five years older than himself at most? He had silver hair, part of which covered one of his eyes, and he wore a full set of armor, which surprised Jaune quite a bit. I mean, he had been planning on buying some armor for himself, but this guy went WAY over the top with it. How much did it weigh?!</p><p>Oh, and he had a shield. Did he forget to mention that? A HUGE FREAKING SHIELD! The largest shield that he had seen up until that point was part of Crocea Mors, and this thing absolutely dwarfed it in size. It looked like a large stylized wooden cross with a circular piece in the center of it, and it was almost the same height of the armored guy. Jaune twitched as he thought about how heavy the thing might be put together with the armor.</p><p>The young man coughed as he looked at Jaune, getting his laugh under control. "Yes," he said with a few more chuckles, "I suppose it is nice weather right about now. Perfect for some training I see" He looked Jaune up and down for a bit and Jaune's face flushed.</p><p>"So, I guess that's what you're doing right now?" the man continued. "training with a, uh, stick and a trash can lid?" He finished in a confused voice.</p><p>Jaune gulped as his face probably turned into a new shade of red. He had needed something to practice with, and he figured that so long as it looked about the same, that he could get you know, some kind of practice in. So he found a sturdy looking branch that had about the same length as Crosea Mors, and he, ah, borrowed one of the metal garbage bin lids from town. He couldn't exactly practice with Crocea Mors a lot, somebody might notice him taking it down and putting it back up on the mantle before he left for Beacon!</p><p>"Ummm, yeah! I, uh, thought of some moves that I wanted to try out, so I, um, found some stuff to practice with. I wanted to get it down before I forgot about it" He said with a winning smile.</p><p>The young man nodded slowly. "<em>Hopefully he's falling for it"</em> Jaune thought to himself.</p><p>Jaune than made a show of looking at his scroll. "Hey man, I'm real sorry, but I've got to head back to my house. But I love the talk that we had! So... Any-who, I guess I'll see you around!"</p><p>Before he could walk off, he heard "Your form was off."</p><p>Jaune turned back. "Huh?"</p><p>The man tilted his head in the direction of the stick and lid. "Your form was off, and your tools were unbalanced. If you keep using them like that, then it'll build muscles and muscle memory in the wrong places, making it much more difficult when you use actual weaponry."</p><p>Jaune stared at him for a second. "Oh."<em> That was a thing? </em>"Of course I knew that! I just, eh, wanted to get a feel for how it was like when it felt wrong! That way I could would know for the future and get it right." <em>Please just leave me...</em></p><p>The man then looked at him for a few seconds, a contemplative look on his face.</p><p>
  <em>Ok, this day just wasn't turning out for him. He wasn't doing the exercise right, which means that he just wasted his evening, he was embarrassed because this stranger caught him doing it, and now said stranger is giving him the third degree... Oh Oum, could this get any worse?</em>
</p><hr/><p>Galahad looked at the young man curiously.</p><p>Sure, his form sucked, he had bad practice material, his strength seemed pathetic, and his lying was terrible. <em>Actually, that last trait wasn't a bad one. </em>But the boy was trying, and was earnest in his attempts. That was something he could respect.</p><p>Oops, he was making the boy nervous now. Galahad coughed, blushing a little.</p><p>"If your form is bad, then would make it easier for you to get injured, as well as prevent you from reaching your full potential. Quite frankly, I'm disappointed that your trainer hasn't pointed that out to you." Galahad stated.</p><p>The boy straightened a little bit. "Oh, I, uh, totally knew all of that. And I'll be sure to inform my trainer of that as well." the kid said while nodding.</p><p>Galahad gazed at him with an eyebrow cocked before chuckling and reaching out his hand. "Look kid, it's alright to admit that you don't know something. You tend to learn more when you do so." He said with a wry smile. "My name is Galahad, one of the Knights of the Round Table."</p><p>The kid hesitantly took his hand and shook it before looking at him in the eyes. "A Knight of the Round Table?" he said in a confused tone. "Is that a group of Hunters or something?"</p><p>Galahad gave a chuckle, "Or something." He agreed. He looked at the kid expectantly.</p><p>After a few seconds, the kid jumped a little, "Oh! My name is Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it." he finished with a bright smile.</p><p>Galahad blinked in bemusement at that, "Oh? Do they really?"</p><p>Jaune winced. "Well, they haven't yet, but that'll change once I get to Beacon and actually meet more girls! I don't know very many besides my sisters around here."</p><p>Galahad chuckled at that. "Yeah, I can see why that would make it a bit difficult." He looked Jaune in the eye again. "So you plan on joining Beacon? Isn't that more of an advanced combat school?"</p><p>Jaune stiffened and hesitated before answering. "Um, yeah, it is."</p><p>Galahad looked at him confused for a bit, enough to make Jaune squirm.</p><p>"Those, um, weren't exactly "advanced" moves that you were doing, you know?" Galahad stated cautiously.</p><p>Jaune looked everywhere except at Galahad for a bit, then put a hand to his ear and said "Hey! I hear somebody calling my name. I better head over to see what they want before they miss me for much longer. HaveAGoodRestOfYourEvening!"</p><p>And after stating that as fast as he could, he ran off into the direction of town.</p><p>Galahad stood there for a second, looking at where Jaune left, before going over to one of the stumps nearby and sitting down. He put his hand on his chin, thinking to himself.</p><p>He wasn't provided with a lot of information about this current world.</p><p>But he knew the basics.</p><p>The culture around here didn't start training their kids as early as knights did - he still remembered first becoming a squire at the age of seven. However, they did start at a young age, and the four Huntsman Academies took in the best fighters from the combat schools and trained them to be Huntsmen.</p><p>He was a little hazy on the process.</p><p>However, he was pretty sure that what he had observed did NOT fall under the category of something that they would accept. True, he wasn't sure how they went about accepting students, so Jaune might be able to get in if he lied, but they would kick him out as soon as they noticed the deceit. In Galahad's time? The punishment for pretending to be a knight was harsh.</p><p>
  <em>To guard the honour of fellow knights, to eschew unfairness, meanness, and deceit, and to protect the weak and defenseless.</em>
</p><p>Three tenants of the code of chivalry, the code that which all knights follow.</p><p>Right now, Jaune wasn't a knight, and though he wished to be, his pretending of being one could hurt the honor of all knights. He was weak and defenseless, and the manner with which he planned to get into Beacon was probably deceitful.</p><p>As a knight, Galahad should try to dissuade him from his path. He wasn't sure what his family situation was, but Jaune should have been training long before this if he wished to become a knight.</p><p>Except.</p><p>Though his form was terrible, and his tools unwieldy, his moves had an earnestness that Galahad hadn't seen in a while. A determination that he found impressive despite the lack of training.</p><p>Galahad stood up with a smile and headed into town.</p><p>There was always more than one way to make sure the code of chivalry is followed.</p><hr/><p>The next day, Jaune sneakily went over to the clearing. The Huntsman that found him the day before meant well he was sure, but he couldn't exactly show off how bad he was until he got into Beacon. <em>Not that I intend on showing I'm bad there, </em>Jaune hastily told himself, moving from tree to tree. <em>I just need to get in, and then learn from the other students as best as I can. That's the goal.</em></p><p>Before he got to the clearing, he started hearing sounds. Somebody grunting, something thudding against other objects, and the occasional crash.</p><p>Curious, Jaune sped up his sneaking.</p><p>When he got to the clearing, he was surprised to see Galahad there, doing his own training. And <em>oh Oum</em>, Jaune's eyes went wide at the sight.</p><p>The clearing had been torn up, with gouges in the ground, and with several trees having been tipped over. In the middle, he could see Galahad doing some moves with his shield.</p><p>Jaune had always assumed that a shield was supposed to protect you from attacks. He never really thought that it could be used as offense.</p><p>Watching Galahad as he swung his shield and hit a tree with a <em><strong>'CRACK!'</strong></em><em>,</em> which caused it to tilt and start falling. Jaune gulped. He was pretty sure he would never be able to look at a shield the same way again.</p><p>Eventually Galahad stopped, breathing lightly and with a small sheen of sweat on his face. Jaune was about to leave him alone - he figured after that display he earned the right to this clearing - when all of a sudden he heard Galahad call out,</p><p>"Why do you wish to be a hero?"</p><p>Jaune froze, looking at the Huntsman who still had his eyes closed.</p><p>Jaune licked his lips, nervous all of a sudden, and walked closer. "Um, sorry? What did you say?" <em>And why do you want to know?</em></p><p>Galahad opened his eyes and looked at Jaune. "Why do you wish to be a hero?"</p><p>Jaune took a deep breath. This was something that he had thought about quite a bit. "I want to be a hero like my dad, and the rest of my family. I want to prove that I am good enough to be one, to show that I'm not weak anymore!"</p><p>Galahad nodded thoughtfully while continuing to look at him, so Jaune continued "I know that I'm not the strongest right now, so I'll just have to keep working at it! My family doesn't believe that I can do it, just because of a few things that happened in the past." At this, Jaune's face went a bit red, "But that just means that I'll need to work harder. I'll show them that I am good enough on my own. An Arc doesn't give up!" he finished proudly.</p><p>The clearing was silent for a bit, and then Galahad smiled at him.</p><p>"What kind of training are you willing to do to become a Knight?" He asked.</p><p>Jaune blinked in surprise at the question, and him talking about a Knight instead of a Huntsman. <em>Maybe they're the same thing to him.</em> He quickly came out of his thoughts. "Anything" he said promptly.</p><p>Galahad stood up straighter, slamming his shield in front of him. The air grew solemn, the clearing taking on an air that Jaune would expect at a manor... Or a castle.</p><p>
  <span>
    <em>A moral system, adopted by the Knights, instructing how to act beyond just combat.</em>
  </span>
</p><p>Galahad started talking. "Would you be willing to follow the code of chivalry? To protect the weak and defenseless? To fight for the welfare of all? To obey those placed in authority?"</p><p>
  <span>
    <em>It was their code of honor. If broken by any knight, the reputation of all would be affected, and when obeyed by one, strengthened all.</em>
  </span>
</p><p>"To at all time speak of truth and eschew unfairness, meanness, and deceit? To persevere until the end in all that you start, living by honour and for glory?"</p><p>
  <span>
    <em>A knight could not just be strong outside of combat. He needed to be better in all aspects of life</em>
  </span>
</p><p>"To respect the honour of women? To keep faith? To obey those in authority, and guard the honour of fellow knights?"</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Though the enemy might not follow this code, that would never excuse a knight to break it as well.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>"To never refuse a challenge from an equal? Never turn the back upon a foe?"</p><p>
  <span>
    <em>Honour, Honesty, Valour, Loyalty. The virtues all knights strived for.</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <em>Do you swear to stand by them?</em>
  </span>
</p><p>"Would you be willing to follow this code?"</p><p>Jaune stood in shock for several seconds, Galahad looking at him solemnly.</p><p>The entire clearing seemed to be waiting for him to answer, so he quickly thought about what was said. Did he have anything against what was said?</p><p>
  <em>Well, not really... I mean, a lot of that is stuff that I was already planning on doing as a Huntsman. The lying and deceit bit is a problem, but I would be doing that before I became a Huntsman! And I would totally obey it afterwards… So I think I'm good there. But why exactly is he asking me? This is kinda sudden... Is he just testing my dedication to becoming a Huntsman?</em>
</p><p>Jaune cleared his throat awkwardly, "Yeah, I would be willing to follow that code to become a Huntsman."</p><p>Galahad smiled at him "Then, Jaune of Arc, would you be willing to become my squire until the time you leave for Beacon? And in that time, I swear I will train you to the best of my ability in becoming a Knight."</p><p>Jaune froze. <em>Ok... A little more than just testing my dedication. I was hoping to do this by myself, but... This guy is strong, he looks like he knows what's up, and he already knows that I'm not the greatest. Being trained by him would help out a lot...</em></p><p>Jaune gave a tentative smile. "I accept."</p><hr/><p>Galahad's smile became bigger. "Excellent. I'm glad that you said that you were willing to go through any training to become a Huntsman. Your body isn't prepared for fighting yet, so we're going to have to go through some intensive training to get you prepared. I'm not that talented with a sword, but I know the basics and a bit more. And if you plan on using a shield?" His smile turned vicious "Then I can really help you, my squire."</p><p><em>There is more than one way to follow the code of chivalry </em>Galahad thought once more in amusement. <em>By training Jaune, Jaune would no longer be weak and defenseless, and in fact he will be able to help protect others. I will help him be stronger, so he has no more need to be deceitful, and the honour of knights will be protected.</em></p><p>"Now then" he said brightly, "Let's talk about what we'll do first."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, not gonna lie, this one was a tough one... First off, I'm sure many of you are wondering, why Galahad? Well, truthfully, when I was thinking about who to pair with Jaune, I was thinking about his weapon, Crocea Mors. It was really, really tempting to put Julias Ceasar in, and I actually had several ideas along that vein that could work. However, something that caught my thoughts was that something that sets this Crocea Mors apart from the original is that in RWBY, the shield is also Crocea Mors. In Fate Crocea Mors was just the sword, though it did get lost after getting stuck in a shield, which caused Julias Ceasar no end of grief. That, combined with Jaune's massive Aura reserves and endurance, made me want to pick somebody who was gifted with a shield. My thoughts were either Aias the Great (owner of Rho Aias) or Galahad. In the end, Galahad won in my mind because he was a knight.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Curse of Invincibility</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Boris was working on paperwork when the clock finally chimed, indicating that it was closing time. He stood up from his desk, stretching as best as he could, before heading to close up the gym.</p><p>It was a small place, Boris would admit, but he had owned it for years, and he liked it. Tatami mats on the floors, wooden walls with shoji panels, and then a mixture of old fashioned equipment and new. A small arena that was set up to monitor the Aura of the combatants. For members willing to pay a little more, he even had a hard-light sparring room.</p><p>As he walked out of his office, he heard the thumps of somebody sparring in the other room and couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He had been open for years and rarely had people use the gym till this late in the evening. Now, every day for a full week this kid starts coming in and using the place for hours on end, taking advantage of his "one week free" pass for the gym.</p><p>He walked into the room and looked around. Sure enough, only the kid was there. In front of one of the sparring dummies at the far side of the room, giving it enough punishment that if it were real it would definitely be calling for mercy. Boris stopped and watched for a moment.</p><p>The kid was an odd one Boris decided. The way the kid was dressed, and how he carried himself, Boris suspected that he was either a Huntsman or a Huntsman in training. And watching as he went at the sparring dummies now, Boris could only feel that his initial thoughts were justified.</p><p>Fast. Strong. Accurate. He could even tell that the kid managed to notice him, even while sparring. This guy would be a monster out in the field.</p><p>"Oi! Greenie! I'm closing up shop. Time to kick you out." He called out.</p><p>The man turned to him with an insulted look on his face. "C'mon Gramps! I've told you to lay off on the 'Greenie' name. Just because my hair is green doesn't mean it has to become my name. That's probably the laziest way to give anybody a nickname!"</p><p>Boris smirked, "Too bad. It's also tradition for us older folk to make fun of the young ones and their hair dye choices."</p><p>'Greenie' barked out a laugh, "I've told you, this is actually my hair color, I promise!"</p><p>"Sure, sure" Boris waved him off, and then started shutting down the machinery and lights while 'Greenie' cleaned himself up. There wasn't a lot of stuff that needed to get shut down, but he was always careful with the hard-light stuff. That Dust was expensive, and he was a bit of a penny pincher in that regard.</p><p>The two of them were quiet until they started walking out of the building and into the quiet streets. "So" Boris spoke up. "Have you decided on what you're going to do?" He looked at 'Greenie' expectantly.</p><p>'Greenie' gave a shrug, looking unconcerned. "Hmmm, nope! Not yet. Still just admiring life and the freedom we have, you know?"</p><p>Boris gave him a glance. That last statement had the feeling of a hidden joke, but he wasn't sure he liked the implications it had.</p><p>"Well" Boris tried, "I'm afraid that the week is just about up. Either you'll be signing up for real, or I'm afraid I won't be seeing you there anymore." Boris fixed 'Greenie' with a glare "I refuse to put up with free-loaders. Even a dedicated customer as you are."</p><p>'Greenie' smirked, "And I wouldn't want to burden you with a free-loader!" he chuckled, turning to him with a smile. "I figure I'll just need another week to get my feet on the ground. Maybe then I'll check to see if I can get a few bounties from killing some of those Grimm."</p><p>"Oh?" Boris said "So you're a Huntsman, are ya?"</p><p>"Huh?" 'Greenie' looked confused, "What does being a Huntsman have anything to do with killing Grimm?"</p><p>The older man could only look at him with a deadpanned look. "Well, perhaps because only Huntsmen are strong enough to take on Grimm in a cavalier manner?"</p><p>"Really?" The younger man looked interested for a moment "Well, I won't know till I try, but see, I have this funny feeling that I'll be just fine."</p><p>Boris sighed "That's the attitude that's gotten quite a few men killed you know."</p><p>"Hey" 'Greenie' poked at him, "No need to get all depressed. I'll be careful and all, don't worry! But if I don't try, then I'll never know! Besides" he tried to change the subject "That's still in the future. I haven't made up my mind yet. I found this coupon for a higher class gym near the stadium that's good for another week." He held the piece of paper up with a smile. "I figure I'll go there for a bit, enjoy my, eh, vacation for a little while longer, and THEN I'll start making my life changing decisions."</p><p>Boris glared at him for a little bit before letting out a deep breath. It wasn't any of his business what the kid did, and he gave the fool a warning at least. Up to him what he was going to do with it.</p><p>Their attention was soon grabbed by a crowd that was forming ahead. "Hmph" Boris glared at the crowd. "Let's get out of here. Unless you want to stick around?"</p><p>'Greenie' looked interested for a moment, but then shook his head with a smile "Nah, as tempting as it is to watch somebody else be uncomfortable, I'd like to avoid crowds for now."</p><p>They continued on their way. Boris attempted several more times to get more information out of 'Greenie', but all of his attempts were shot down. He sighed in frustration. The kid would find the truth of the situation eventually. Here's hoping it didn't actually kill him.</p><p>They didn't see the red headed girl eventually make her way out of the crowd, looking exhausted.</p><hr/><p>If Pyrrha Nikos had to sum up her life in a single word, it would have to be "lonely".</p><p>She realized it wasn't as bad as other people, and as far as suffering went it was hardly the worst thing that could happen to people, so she simply endured it in silence. And yet, it was still difficult for her.</p><p>When she first won the Championship, the people in Mistral had dubbed her the 'Invincible Girl' due to how quickly and seemingly effortlessly she had disposed of her opponent. She hadn't thought anything of it at the time - many tournament winners received fancy titles like that from the press. It was just something that they did, something that didn't mean anything.</p><p>But then she had won her second. And then her third. The fourth was coming up soon, and she was fairly confident that she would win this one was well.</p><p>After those victories, people had started to believe that she was different from everybody else, and they placed her on a pedestal as somebody that couldn't be beaten. And now she was unable to get off that pedestal! It created a barrier that prevented her from actually making any friends, and even her opponents would no longer put forth all of their effort, for what use was there in fighting against something that was invincible? Soon enough, everybody that she knew stopped treating her as Pyrrha, and more as a symbol.</p><p>She was forever grateful that her parents were so helpful and understanding, and she was even more grateful to them because it was often difficult for them to spend time with her due to them being busy. Ultimately, they were the only ones that really treated her as herself these days.</p><p>She was aware that when it came time to choose which Academy to go to that she would receive offers from all of them. It wasn't bragging, it was simply fact. Each of them would be overjoyed to have her. And she was stuck trying to figure out which one to choose. Atlas made her uncomfortable due to their connection to the military. She had a sneaking suspicion that if she were to go there, she would find herself in the military in some way, which she did not want. Vacao had too much anarchy for her comfort. That ultimately left Mistral and Vale.</p><p>Mistral was familiar. It also had close access to her parents, who she knew would treat her as herself. However, she was already aware that if she went here, she would remain on her 'pedestal', and the chance to make actual friendships would be slim. Therefore, Vale seemed like the best of all of her options. Hopefully if she went overseas she would be able to escape the brunt of her fame. Undoubtedly they would know of her, there was no way to avoid that. However, hopefully she would be able to go shopping without being mobbed by paparazzi.</p><p>She shuddered. She's given them interviews, gone on commercials, and yet the press and the public would still feel the need to swarm her if they saw her outside in a public location. How was that fair? They saw her often enough, why couldn't she have just a few days to be herself?</p><p>She sighed as she made her way back home, completely exhausted after having dealt with another wandering band of fans. She really hoped that things at Vale would be different for her. She wanted the opportunity to make actual friends again. To maybe meet somebody who could, if not beat her, then match her in a fight.</p><p>Surely that wasn't too much to ask for?</p><hr/><p>If 'Greenie' had to sum up the last week and a half in a single word, it would be "liberating".</p><p>His entire life he had been aware of a prophecy about himself. About his fate. If he were to become a hero, he would have a short life, as if sprinting through it at full speed. When the Trojan war broke out, his mother came to him and specifically asked him "Do you wish to live a long and peaceful life without having your name recognized by the masses? Or do you wish to live the short life of a hero with brilliant achievements in battle?" So he was well aware of his options. Unlike most that are the focus of prophecy, he actually had a choice! And in the end, he chose to be a hero.</p><p>That knowledge always remained in his mind, and it showed in his life and legend. He knew he would live a short life, so what was the point in having regrets? He wished to live life to the fullest, and experience as much as he could while he could,<em> "for those who revel shall be saved"</em>. Sure, he had made mistakes, but he refused to let himself be dragged down by such things. Remember those mistakes, learn from them, and move on forward.</p><p>But now the unexpected has happened. He was summoned here, without a master. No master to obey, no foolish 'kings' to swear fealty to, and the prophecy predicting his death was already fulfilled, and could no longer affect him!</p><p>For the first time in his life, he was actually free. No obligations. No strings.</p><p>He didn't regret how his life went, despite how short it was, but that prophecy had always been over his head. So for it to be gone? It was a unique experience for him.</p><p>Now, he had no doubt that he'd be out there fighting those corrupted creatures in no time. His love for combat would not be satisfied with anything less. But as he told Boris, he wanted to take advantage of this 'vacation' for a little while longer, in addition to getting his bearings. Originally getting summoned into this world in an illegal fighting ring wasn't the best of introductions. Add in that there was fight going on at the time? Yeah, once he finished teaching them what an actual fight was, he felt he deserved a few days to figure things out.</p><p>With the coupon for this new gym in hand, he went inside and got signed up.</p><p>His first impression of the place was that it was much fancier than Boris's place. Larger, more 'modern' amenities, numerous exercise machines lining the walls, and he could see a pool in the back. He smiled to himself. He liked the atmosphere of Boris's place, but this place definitely had it's perks.</p><p>His attention was soon grabbed by a small crowd of people surrounding a sparring ring. Curious, he walked over to see the fight.</p><p>Once he got close enough, he saw the combatants.</p><p>The first contender he saw made him snort in derision. Wearing only a vest on top, with black pants on bottom. The vest was open, making sure to show off his 'amazing' physique. Black hair slicked back, and a cleanshaven face. His weapons looked like twin axes with a chain connecting them. They probably had a gun function like everybody else's weapons, but he wasn't sure. Overall, not a bad sort, if one were going just by looks. Unfortunately<em>,</em> getting his butt kicked kinda ruined that image.</p><p><em>What is up with this place and their lack of armor? </em>He thought to himself incredulously. <em>I mean, even I have armor! And my skin is unbreakable!</em></p><p>The person he was fighting was much different. Wearing Spartan armor -<em> Finally! One person with actual armor!</em> - a girl with long red hair was beating him with a spear and shield, and doing it well enough that he couldn't help but nod in approval. She wasn't nearly at his level, but it was still something to admire, if for a small time at least.</p><p>Normally he wouldn't have stayed to watch the combat for long. They weren't at his level, and watching such fights tended to get dull since he had no stake in them. But for some reason, he felt a kinship with the girl. At first he thought that it was seeing somebody in familiar armor, using a spear and shield like he did. It was only after watching for a time that he noticed it.</p><p>It wasn't anything about her. At least, not at first. Instead, it was her opponent, and the crowd. The way the contender fought, and the expressions of the crowd.</p><p>They were the same moves that his sparring partners had. The same expressions of the people who watched him spar.</p><p>Once his fame had grown in the Achaean Army, people started claiming that he was invincible. That with him on their side, victory was certain. Once that started happening, his sparring partners would give up hope of ever defeating him, and the crowd would always assume that victory would be his. Victories of that nature were so disappointing that he never would count them. It made going back into actual combat more satisfying, because he could truly let loose against people that were ACTUALLY trying!</p><p>Now that he noticed this, he looked back at the red headed girl, and could see her movements. The slightly robotic way she parried, the choreographed flip. The poor gal was bored! It was pretty well hidden, but to him? The Hero of Troy? It was easily spotted after watching her for a little bit.</p><p>With that thought, he grinned, and started to make a plan.</p><p>Sparta and Achaea used to be allies after all.</p><hr/><p>Pyrrha hid a sigh as she disarmed her opponent. She could barely remember his name. Gareth? He had seemed talented, and so she asked to spar with him. Unfortunately, he turned out like the rest of her spars. He fought with reduced energy, and she could already tell that he had accepted defeat. She put a smile on her face and bowed to him, thanking him for the fight.</p><p>As usual, the crowd was clapping and cheering. So far, just another normal day -</p><p>"BOOOOO! I PROTEST!"</p><p>The crowd jerked and stopped their applause, looking at certain person in the crowd. Pyrrha found herself being startled as well. <em>That was certainly new...</em></p><p>Everybody parted, and she saw the person that was booing. He smirked at her, and then proceeded to shout some more. "C'MON, you call that a fight?! I'm insulted! You!" he pointed towards her opponent, "The amount of effort you were putting into that fight was pathetic! And you!" He pointed at Pyrrha, "You didn't even give your opponent your full attention! How disgraceful!"</p><p>By now the entire crowd started grumbling darkly at the man that dared insult Pyrrha, while Pyrrha flushed in embarrassment. <em>I mean, he wasn't wrong... </em>Before she could turn to her opponent and apologize, the man jumped into the ring and pulled out his spear, pointing it right at her with a grin on his face, and giving her a good look at him.</p><p>The man would definitely qualify as good looking. His eyes were sharp and bold, and his entire presence seeming to exude an aura of strength. He had green, spiky hair, with a single bang hanging down the left side of his face. He also wore what appeared to be sturdy armor, with a orange cloth wound across his chest, similar to her own red cloth she wore around her waist. She couldn't exactly guess his age, but if she had to choose, she would say that he was the age of a young Huntsman.</p><p>With his spear pointed at her and with a eager smile, he stated "I, Achilles, challenge you to a fight here and now!"</p><p>The crowd erupted in anger, and from what she could pick out the main protest was the way he was speaking to THE Pyrrha Nikos. From the side, she could see the referee start to come over with a frown, and she quickly spoke up before he could get closer,</p><p>"I accept!"</p><hr/><p>Eventually the crowds quieted down, though they still gave Achilles foul looks. Not that he cared about it, from the look of his smirking.</p><p>The referee came over once more, giving her a brief scowl. Not that he could do anything to change this, now that she had accepted the duel.</p><p>"Excuse me sir, but could you place your Scroll into the machine over here? We need to do that before we begin."</p><p>"Hmmm? Oh, I don't have one." Achilles replied with a lazy grin. That set off another wave of grumbling amongst the crowd, and the referee gave him another scowl, his eye twitching. But before he could say anything,</p><p>"I figure we'll fight until my little sister hits me. One hit, and I lose."</p><p>She couldn't help but look at him in shock at that. Even if he was an experienced hunter, to say that he could win without being hit against was insane! Of course, the crowd was indignant as well, but for a different reason.</p><p>"How dare you call Pyrrha Nikos your sister!"</p><p>"You moron! You don't deserve her as family!"</p><p>She sighed in frustration, but kept quiet otherwise.</p><p>Achilles spoke up again, "What are you guys complaining about? One hit and I'm out. If it's that easy, then lets get this fight going so she can show me my place!" he ended with a grin.</p><p>A few more minutes pass and the referee eventually allows it. Going to the edge of the ring, he starts counting down.</p><p>For the first time in a long time, she started feeling excitement and anticipation for a spar.</p><p>She prayed he wouldn't disappoint.</p><hr/><p>Achilles held onto his spear and leaned forward eagerly as the referee started counting down.</p><p>He knew that it would be hypocritical, but he wasn't going to go all out on the poor girl. Even weakened as he was, he was still quite a bit better than her.</p><p>The way she acted, the familiarity that her armor invoked in him, brought him a certain nostalgia. He wanted to help this girl, and giving her an actual fight is something that he would have loved when he was in the army at Troy looking for a worthy opponent. Ultimately, it just felt right to call her his little sis. That, and everybody's reactions were priceless, hah!</p><p>Three seconds to go, and he got in position with a grin.</p><p>He would make her work for this.</p><hr/><p>The first moments of combat took Pyrrha completely by surprise. This guy was <em>fast.</em> Almost immediately, he had become a blur, and only her reflexes allowed her to instinctively bring up her shield to protect her side. The kick pushed her back several feet, and she immediately retaliated by throwing her shield at him, followed by shifting her spear into a gun, and shooting at him.</p><p>He jumped over the shield, and then ducked under the bullets, ending with a spin with his spear out, which would have resulted in a dangerous blow, so she jumped back, shifting her gun back into a spear, while using her Semblance to subtly push his own spear.</p><p>Surprisingly, Achilles leapt away after that, looking at his spear in confusion. He then looked at her with a smile, "Was that your Semblance right there?"</p><p>Everybody murmured in confusion. They hadn't seen anything 'abnormal', and were confused. Pyrrha was surprised that he had caught on that quickly.</p><p>Achilles chuckled and proceeded to charge at her, doing his best to keep her busy.</p><p>The fight continued for several minutes, and Pyrrha was loving it. She had yet to be able to land a hit on the 'blur' that he had become, but she was actually fighting a competent opponent that was relatively close to her age. Somebody that actually pushed her. The crowd could only gasp at the scene in unbelief. Somebody was actually matching THE Pyrrha Nikos. People had brought out their scrolls and were recording it, and even the referee was entranced.</p><p>They danced back and forth like this, until eventually -</p><p>*CLANG!*</p><p>"Ah dang it, looks like you hit me!" Achilles said with an embarrassed smile.</p><p>Looking down, it was clear to see her spear and the large scratch it left on his armor.</p><p>Despite her having one, the crowd was stunned into silence for a long while, until one person started clapping. After that, the dams broke, and everybody cheered even louder than before.</p><p>Achilles clapped his hand on her shoulders briefly, giving her a smile. "Good job Little Sis! You did better than I thought you would. Maybe we'll see each other around!" And he quickly jumped out of the ring, the crowd parting before him.</p><p>Pyrrha could only look on in surprise for a second before she started after him, getting a little angry for the first time in a while.</p><p>Right before her spear had connected, he had winked.</p><p>The first challenge she had in a long time, and he threw the battle.</p><p>And he said that she was not honoring her opponent?</p><p>She continued after him after he left the gym. She definitely had words for him.</p><hr/><p>Achilles chuckled as he left the building. The looks on everybody's faces were amazing. Sure, he probably brought a lot of attention on himself, but he just couldn't resist. Of course, he never really bothered trying to resist.</p><p>After a short while, he heard running footsteps, and he turned back to see Pyrrha running after him.</p><p>He raised an eyebrow, "Hey Sis! Don't tell me that you missed me already?"</p><p>She glared at him, which surprised him. He hadn't thought that she would get angry easily.</p><p>"Why did you throw that match?" She demanded.</p><p>He chuckled, "Oh, you noticed that?</p><p>Her eyes narrowed. "You winked at me right before you allowed my spear to hit you. Was I NOT supposed to get it?"</p><p>"Well, many people wouldn't, if I were being honest" he said with a small wince.</p><p>She stayed like that for a while. "I want a rematch." She winced, and looked a bit more contrite, her more polite personality reasserting itself. "Please" she added.</p><p>"Oh?" He said curiously? "And why would you want to do that?"</p><p>She shrugged, "You're the first actual challenge that I've had for a while. Fighting you is the best way that I can actually improve." She blushed a little bit and bowed at him. "Please spar with me again."</p><p>He thought about it before giving her a smile. "Sure, I guess I can do that sis. I don't think I have anything going on this weekend. Does that work for you?"</p><p>She gave a dazzling smile at him, "That would be grand!"</p><p>Achilles chuckled, and then looked around. Several people had stopped walking by and were staring at them, muttering to each other.</p><p>"Well, I think we've just about worn out our welcome here." he stated. "I'll meet you at the gym this weekend then!" and he walked off.</p><hr/><p>Pyrrha watched him walk away and couldn't help a smile start to form.</p><p>Maybe the months leading up to Beacon wouldn't be so dreadful after all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A lot of people guessed either Achilles or Leonidas, and those were my top two choices as well :). To be honest, the main reason why I wanted to choose Achilles is because I really see him as an older brother figure. He is the relaxed older brother personality to Pyrrha's rule abiding and polite personality. Once I thought it, it seemed to match really well.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Sea is a Cruel Mistress</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A large Grimm Serpent floated on the water lazily, no land in sight. Ships rarely came out this far into the ocean - they stuck to certain paths between the continents to avoid confrontation with Grimm as best as they could. If he was closer to those paths, he'd normally stick to underwater, but he instinctively enjoyed being in the sun, so unless he got hungry, he avoided the busy areas.</p><p>Therefore, he was surprised when he heard started hearing an increase in noise, as well as sensing a source of negativity. Annoyance mostly, a dash of exasperation, small bits of panic...</p><p>After rousing himself from his nap, he looked around and was surprised to see a large ship with several masts speed by in the distance. It wasn't nearly as large as some of the cargo vessels that it had attacked before, but it was bigger than many of the ships that usually carried people.</p><p>What was even more intriguing is the speed of the ship. He could see from the sails that they were straining at the masts, and the ship itself was going far faster than he would expect. Yet, when he sensed the wind himself, he could only feel a small breeze...</p><p>Behind them, it could sense a very large Grimm chasing them underwater, managing to just barely keep up with the ship.</p><p>Giving into curiosity, it dove down, then leapt out of the water and spread its wings, going after the strange vessel.</p><hr/><p>"Push those winds faster you lazy Archer!"</p><p>"Any more power and the ship will be torn apart you crazy Rider!"</p><p>"HA! I know my ship better than you do oaf, and she's got plenty more to give!"</p><p>"Oh, and that's why I hear the masts cracking then, is it <em>vlakas</em>?!"</p><p>In the middle of the normally calm ocean, in a stretch that usually only held Grimm, two voices could barely be heard over the sound of roaring wind, their vessel being propelled quickly through the waves by a strong wind.</p><p>"Hah! That's just them getting a good stretch in! But if you don't want to give us more speed, why don't you help us navigate to land so I don't have to constantly use my Noble Phantasm, eh?"</p><p>"Don't start that again! I'm also constantly using my Noble Phantasm, and you know very well that it's impossible to navigate properly!"</p><p><em>"Not that we haven't tried", </em>he muttered to himself. "<em>The stars are all different here, and even though we've got a map of the world in our heads, if we don't know where we are that doesn't exactly help us! We don't even know if the sun rises in the east and sets in the west!"</em></p><p>For somebody like him, after all that he had experienced, being lost like this was bringing back some terrible memories. Not that he intended to share that with <em>her</em></p><p>"Oh big whoop, all you're doing is standing there holding a bag you pansy! I have to control the entire ship and - STARBOARD INCOMING!"</p><p>The rigging and the sails adjusted automatically, and he quickly directed the wind as best as he could, the ship started making a lot of uncomfortable noises. But it shifted just in time to avoid a blast of lightning from a flying serpent that had joined them.</p><p>He groaned, "So not only do we have some kind of giant creature chasing us" he looks at the tail and dorsal fin of the creature underwater, them being the only part visible of the thing. "We also have a Sea Feilong on our tails. This has turned into a fine summoning indeed!" He griped.</p><p>After a second of silence, he looks up at Rider and sees her glaring at him.</p><p>"You were slow, and now my ship is damaged!" she growled out at him.</p><p>"I was slow?" he said incredulously, "You were the one doing the turning!"</p><p>"Belay that! You'll owe me for every hole that my ship suffers by the time we reach port!"</p><p>"The ship isn't physical you crazy lady! It's <em>your</em> Noble Phantasm!"</p><p>"It's a matter of principle! Your tab begins now!"</p><p>"We're both Captains right now, and therefore have the same status! Stop ordering me like this and pay better attention!"</p><p>"Well this is my ship, which means that I rank higher than you!"</p><p>He growled under his breath. He knew what she was doing of course. They had both been forced to use a trickle of their Noble Phantasms together in order to get away from the Grimm chasing them. It wasn't difficult at first beyond the initial manifestation. However, after several hours of usage when they were already low on power? That trickle became mighty difficult to keep up. The back and forth they were having was a way to distract them from depressing thoughts.</p><p>Of course, just because he knew it, didn't mean that he had to like it. In terms of power he probably outranked her, but in terms of usefulness with the current situation, she outranked himself. Once again, not something he intended to tell her.</p><p>He distracted himself from the annoying drivel by trying to think of a plan. Once they found land, they would be unable to dock and get away in time. With a Leviathan chasing them under the water, and a Sea Feilong in the air, their odds weren't looking good with the two of them nearing the ends of their ropes.</p><p>The Sea Feilong was in the air, and it looked like it was quite happy to stay up there sniping at them, and the Leviathan was content to stay underwater, no doubt waiting to get close so it could destroy the ship while it remained safe beneath the water.</p><p>He was pretty sure he could kill the serpent with his bow, even as tired as he was, but he couldn't risk putting away his winds, otherwise the Leviathan would get them. He couldn't think of anything he could do about the Leviathan though, especially since it was currently protected by the water, but Rider might be able to with her Noble Phantasm, so long as they got close enough to land.</p><p>He adjusted his grip on his bag, his brow crinkled in thought. They were in bad straights, but he had been in worse. He just needed to think of a way out. He hadn't gained the title of the cleverest of Greeks for no reason after all.</p><p>He was Odysseus, the Wanderer, one of the Hero's of Troy, and Hero of the Odyssey. He had survived worse than this, and he would make sure he would be around to survive more.</p><hr/><p>Rider let out a disappointed breath.</p><p>Looked like Archer wasn't paying any more attention. What a shame, now she didn't have anything to distract herself from the aches of keeping her Noble Phantasm up for as long as she had. It didn't hurt per se, but it was a lot like overworking your muscles. While you were tired. And hungry. Since they were only using the bare minimum of them instead of a massive attack, they could extend the time frame.</p><p>Ultimately, there was just one problem.</p><p>Extending her Noble Phantasm like this ran completely contrary to her own nature!</p><p>She groaned in misery. Her life and actions were often compared to that of fireworks. An explosion of light and sound, only to fade away. Where she went, she left nothing behind. Her most valued treasure were of the gold or explosive variety, and she would gather them only to spend it all the next day. Like a Storm, she would sweep through wherever she went.</p><p>The King of Storms.</p><p>And she now had to use up the barest minimum of her greatest treasure and hold onto it for hours on end.</p><p><em>Archer better compensate me for my willingness to put up with this.</em> She grumbled under her breath.</p><p>She straightened as she heard Archer should out "PORT!"</p><p>With her mind, she quickly shifted the sails and tightened the ropes as much as she could. She heard Archer groan behind her, and felt the violent winds shift directions, forcing the ship even faster.</p><p>Just as they finished, she saw a lightning bolt slam into the water where they used to be, the water bubbling and sizzling.</p><p>She turned back and grinned at Archer. "Good news! No damages to the ship, so you don't owe me anything yet!"</p><p>She saw him growl something out, but the winds took it away before she heard it.</p><p>Snickering to herself, she looked ahead and immediately brightened. "Hey Archer!" She called out, "Looks like the luck of your legend didn't follow us! Land ho!" <em>Or my own skill trumped yours... heh.</em></p><p>In the distance, she could she the barest edges of the shoreline on the horizon, and she gave an eager grin.</p><p>She heard Archer shout to her, "Do you really think your ship can handle some more wind? I have a plan, but it requires both to make one large push at the end!"</p><p>"Finally!" She shouted back to him. "Of course I'm sure! Time to put everything on the line now!"</p><p>And with that, she felt the winds increase, and she felt the straining ropes get on the verge of snapping.</p><p>She wasn't afraid.</p><p>Life wasn't fun without a few risks.</p><p>Plus, she could always get Odysseus to pay for any damages he caused.</p><hr/><p>The Serpent was even more curious. It had been following the strange ship for a while now, casually sniping it when he felt like it, and then the wind suddenly picked up and caused it to go even faster. From what he saw, it looked like the winds came from the tall male's hands, while the pink haired female stood at the front of the ship.</p><p>He wasn't very concerned - they hadn't made a move to fight them, so they probably couldn't. And now that he had spent the energy to chase after them, he wanted to feed off of their panic when they finally realized their situation. They were getting close to land, and he could sense the Leviathan preparing to stand up.</p><p>He shuddered in anticipation.</p><p>The size of the Leviathan always freaked people out. The panic they felt after that was amazing to taste. Then to see it attack? It never failed to induce hopelessness in even hardened Hunters. Truly, they were fools to go so far out into the ocean like they had. The terrors of the deep were usually asleep, but they were always open to a snack.</p><p>A little while later and they were very close to the land. Just enough so that the Leviathan was able to stand up and get chest high out of the water, a deep growl causing the water around him to ripple into waves.</p><p>Instead of feeling panic from the ship, he felt excitement.</p><p>The Serpent stuttered, feeling unsure for the first time, and he hovered in place over the Leviathan.</p><p>He heard the pink haired lady shout out "Let loose the anchor on the starboard side!" and saw the large piece of metal fall from the side of the ship, yanking the ship and causing it to turn. The ropes and rigging shifted, causing the ship to turn even sharper.</p><p>The man then turned to the two grim, aimed the object in his hands, and he heard him proclaim "<em><strong>Gift of Aeolus!</strong></em>" The Serpent tensed, bracing himself for a blast of wind.</p><p>He wasn't quite correct.</p><p>Flying is a complicated thing. It's complicated enough to explain how animals fly. Then the humans have their airships, which use different rules. It gets even more complicated when you try to explain how Grimm can fly, considering how much they weigh.</p><p>Despite the complexity and technicalities, at it's most basic and core principle, it can be explained as such. The wings crashes into the air in such a way that it pushes down. Due to the laws of physics, when you push down on something, the opposite reaction is that the air pushes against you, lifting you up. This is obvious to see when done on the earth, and can be demonstrated fairly easily with water. Air, being the least dense of the three, requires you to have a larger area pushing down in order to accomplish the same effect of being pushed up, but it is still the same principle.</p><p>So when the Serpent flapped his wings once more, he was expecting to feel the same air resistance needed to keep himself flying.</p><p>He was not expecting the wind to bypass him completely, avoiding his body, and pushing the air underneath him <em>down.</em></p><p>And with no air under his wings, he fell.</p><p>As he did, in his panicked state, he didn't hear the pink haired lady shout out.</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>"Remember my name! Temeroso el Drago! Sir Francis Drake! The woman that brought down the sun!"</strong>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>The Leviathan looked at the ship curiously. It had just turned on it's side, and he could see the man fiddling with a pouch in front of him. He wasn't worried about that. Instead, he looked at the cannons on the side of the ship curiously before dismissing them as too small to bother him.</p><p>He was an old Grimm. Old and experienced. He was aware of the damage that most ships and cannons could do to his kin and him. However, when he had felt a burst of power over the spot where he hibernated, he was curious enough to check it out. When he saw the ship, and two humans climbing onto it, he decided to devour them for waking him up.</p><p>He wasn't expecting them to test his own endurance for hours on end. Now that he was above water, he decided he would blast them and kill them instantly instead of drawing it out, as a thanks for amusing him.</p><p>Just as he started breathing in, the woman shouted something out.</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>"Remember my name! Temeroso el Drago! Sir Francis Drake! The woman that brought down the sun!"</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>While curious that she wasn't scared, he dismissed it as petty war crys of a doomed human. The surge of power gave him more pause, especially when it came accompanied with more presences, but he still had no issues with attacking. Then, a large fist of air slammed into his head and attacked his eyes. While not doing any real damage, it hurt enough and was unexpected enough for him slam his eyes shut. When he felt something solid hit his head, he quickly reached up and grabbed it with his claw. Carefully opening his eyes, he was confused to see the Sea Feilong in his grasp, looking confused as well.</p><p>Looking back at the ship, his confusion only increased.</p><p>In front of him was not one ship, but several, of different sizes and shapes. They looked faint, like a mirage, but he could sense something there.</p><p>He felt the Sea Feilong tense to try to fly again, but then the female shouted out again,</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>"It's our turn now, you scallywags! King of the ghosts, night of the storms, let the Wild Hunt begin!"</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>With the sudden roar of cannons, the Leviathan soon realized that though the ships looked like mirages, their cannons themselves were very physical.</p><p>The Sea Feilong was destroyed quickly, grounded as it was within the Leviathan's hand. The Leviathan himself, for the first time in years, felt <em><strong>PAIN</strong></em>.</p><p>This didn't make any sense, and clearly this ship had capabilities he wasn't aware of. He wasn't going to risk his life on an unknown. He was not willing to tempt fate, and he quickly submerged and fled. He felt deep gouges on his chest and face, and he was worried that he couldn't see out of one eye.</p><p>He had felt panic for the first time in years. He had felt pain. He might be fleeing now, but he would remember.</p><p>His mind quickly thought back to the two people on the ship, memorizing how they looked.</p><p>He would let them have this battle, but he would keep watch. He was a Grimm that had lived for a long, long time. He could afford to wait a little longer.</p><p>These humans have woken one of the terrors of the deep. And he would show them why the sea was a cruel mistress.</p><hr/><p>Soon after, two bodies washed onto the shore, both of them exhausted physically and magically. It would be a long time before they could do something at that level.</p><p>"Pha!" Drake spat, not moving from where she lay. "I hope nobody was around to see that. Truly, a pathetic display compared to what a fully staffed Wild Hunt should be!"</p><p>Odysseus groaned, not opening his eyes "To be expected. Quite frankly, I was impressed you managed as much as you did." He shuffled uncomfortably. "At least this wasn't as bad a landing as some that I've had."</p><p>"Shut. Up." she growled. "I don't want to hear it."</p><p>"Oh my goodness!"</p><p>They both startled when they heard a new voice, and they both looked up to see two girls approaching them with shocked looks on their faces.</p><hr/><p>Nebula Violet and her best friend Dew Gayle looked at the two people laying on the sand. One of them was tall, brown hair, and had tan skin. He was wearing armor and was probably in his late twenties she'd say, his body clearly showing that he was experienced in fighting, and he had a large bow strapped across his back. The other had long, dark pink hair and had a scar on her face. She was wearing a rather revealing captains coat and vest, as well as having a couple of old fashioned pistols at her side.</p><p>And both Nebula and Dew had just seen these two somehow blast a giant lizard Grimm back into the ocean.</p><p>They stared at each other for a bit, and then Odysseus coughed and gave them an exhausted smile, "I don't suppose you'd believe if we said you imagined everything?"</p><p>The two of them slowly shook their heads in the negative.</p><p>He sighed. "I thought not. How bout you help us into the nearest town, and then we can talk about it there?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Another Chapter done! I hope that everybody enjoyed this one. I wasn't quite sure how the two of them would act, but I figured that with them both being Captains, they would probably butt heads quite a bit. I tried my best to keep their personalities unique and true to their core, so you guys will have to let me know if I managed to succeed in that.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Genius is often... Eccentric?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A Grimm prowled in a cage, growling weakly at everything around it.</p><p>The cage itself was nice, what one would expect to see in a zoo. Grass, trees, and water. Steel walls on three sides, with one thick glass wall.</p><p>Despite this, the Grimm eventually slowed down his prowling, growls growing weaker. His eyes occassionally glowing green, small veins beneath his fur pulsing the same color. And then it lay down, the green fading, and the Grimm started decaying rapidly.</p><p>Silence reigned for several seconds, before a shout of anger could be heard, followed by a fist slamming into a control panel.</p><p>On the other side of the glass stood a man in a gray coat. White, unkempt hair, with a robotic eye and arm. Dr. Merlot, former owner of Merlot Industries, and the man responsible for the fall of Mt. Glenn.</p><p>And currently the man glaring at the decomposing corpse of the Grimm. Taking a few deep breaths to stabilize himself, he took a recorder out and started speaking into it.</p><p>"Test C096: Subject B231 was injected with Serum 32c on Tuesday, 15:00. The date and time is now Thursday, 20:07. B231 had been delivered to the facilities soon after capture, and was injected as quickly as possible. It showed signs of deterioration as soon as one hour after administration. The serum showed signs of affecting the facial region, as well as the nerves in the trapezius muscles before death."</p><p>He took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair in an aggravated manner before he continued.</p><p>"It should be noted that Serum 32c had also been given to subject B230, and yet B230 lasted a full 58 hours longer than B231, and the serum infected 76 percent of the body. B230 and B231 were nearly identical outwardly, and were injected in the same locations. No discernable differences between them. More testing will need to be done. End of test C096."</p><p>He put the recorder away and set about giving out orders for the robots to collect another Grimm. For a moment, he let himself regret the destruction of his Mt. Glenn operations. He would admit that he had been too greedy, and tried to experiment on too many Grimm too quickly. He had been focused on getting results, and when the Grimm overran the city he was forced to relocate his base. So much data had been lost in the evacuation...</p><p>Now he was more careful. He had relocated on an island he found, and primarily employed droids from an Atlas contact he had. Not everybody spurned his research, and some people in the Atlas military were willing to assist so long as he shared his research, which was an easy promise to give.</p><p>The problem he was running into was the results he was getting were inconsistent!</p><p>Grimm could never be captured for long, that was a fact that everybody knew. If they remained captive for too long, they would die. Unfortunately, he needed them captive in order to run his experiments properly!</p><p>Back in the city, they documented variances of course - that was inevitable. But here, they were displaying a pattern that went against all projected outcomes. If he didn't know any better, he would have said that they were mocking him. A specimen would last a short time before death, the next a long time, the one after that short, then long! Once again, variances did occur here and there, yet those were oh so few. And he had been recording these results and documenting them over the course of years!</p><p>He had made advances of course. A few Grimm had actually made it through the full infection - An old Deathstalker made it through the entirety of the procedure, as well as a Beringel that his robots were able to capture before they were destroyed. These successes helped him gather data, which in turn kept his suppliers happy. Yet those successes were few, and he had been at this for years.</p><p>He growled, his robotic hand crushing a piece of metal it was holding. He was at the cusp of figuring it out. Of figuring everything out, he just knew it! Once he did that, he would be able to make the progress needed to prove his theories, to show that Oz and the others were wrong!</p><p>Humanity was stifling itself. It was obvious to anybody with a brain! It refused to change, to... <em>Evolve</em>. And the Grimm were prime examples of evolution! Practically immortal, with their age only increasing their power as time went on. Their ability to sense negativity could also be a sign of psychomancy, especially in the case of the dreaded Apathy. If studied properly, the leaps it would bring humanity would be incalculable! Unfortunately, his... colleagues were squeamish and shortsighted, so he had decided he needed to do it on his own.</p><p>He finished setting the robots to cleaning the latest failure and started heading back to his lab. There were a few more variables that he could try altering for the next serum, and he wanted to get started on it as soon as he could. There weren't that many Grimm on the island, but the robots were pretty good at ferreting out a Beowolf when he wanted one.</p><p>He walked back absently, his mind paying very little attention to it's surrounding, only for it to come crashing back when he started walking past the Archives and he heard the sound of a past recording playing. He froze in shock for several seconds, looking at the open door to the room, the lights having been turned on. Staring, he tried to convince himself he was merely hearing or seeing things. Come to think of it, it had been a while since he had gotten a full nights rest. One couldn't survive solely on coffee...</p><p><em>"After all"</em>, he tried to tell himself, "<em>The idea that somebody managed to sneak onto the island, and then onto the compound, without being caught by the security procedures was completely ridiculous. The security had been made by some of Atlas's finest! And then to forego subtlety and listen to the recordings in the middle of it all?"</em></p><p>Yep. He must be hearing things.</p><p>...</p><p>He stayed frozen for a full minute before jolting back into action. He quickly opened up his scroll and accessed the security system, and then to the cameras in the Archive room. Having the camera pan the room, he quickly spotted the intruder.</p><p>He looked at the figure for a bit. Admittedly, he would never consider himself knowledgeable on infiltration. It hardly looked like an infiltrator from... Well, he didnt look like an infiltrator at all. The man was tall, though it was difficult to tell the exact height since he was hunched over slightly. In the light of the lab, pale didn't do his skin justice, and his skin and hair both looked greasy.</p><p>But what really caught his attention was his clothing. Merlot hadn't been in public in years, and yet he was positive that robes hadn't made a comeback. Additionally, these robes were unlike anything he had seen. The design was odd, yet seemed like good quality. The collar of the robes were... poofy, made with deep purple, black, and scarlet materials.</p><p>To top it all off, the entire ensemble gave off a certain aura that Merlot would have previously said only belonged to a Grimm.</p><p>The stranger didn't appear to be worried about being quiet. He was listening to one of the recordings while reading some notes casually. There were several notebooks worth of notes arrayed on the table in front of him, and all of the lights had been turned on.</p><p>Merlot narrowed his eyes. No, this didn't appear to be a regular infiltrator. He quickly alerted the security bots and stationed them outside the door. Then, after making sure that his own weapon was in working condition, he walked through the doors.</p><hr/><p>Merlot wasn't sure what he was expecting the stranger to do. He himself had not walked in without making sure that the robots behind him were hidden, yet in a good spot to attack if needed. He had his Aura, which would protect him temporarily if it came to a fight, and there were plenty of places within the Archives to dodge behind if needed. Of course, the odds that this man would attack were slim. To do what he was doing, it was clear that he was making himself noticeable on purpose after infiltrating the area so masterfully, and to play the recording right when Merlot was walking down the corridor? Clearly this man wanted to talk.</p><p>Of course, he wasn't expecting the man to immediately turn around and stare at him, his face almost blank "You, what is your name?" large eyes stared at Merlot before speaking once more, "Yes... Are you, perhaps, the owner of these facilities?" the strangers voice surprisingly deep.</p><p>Merlot's own eyes narrowed at the strange man. "And if I am?" He questioned carefully, his hand brushing against his scroll, ready to tell the robots to attack.</p><p>The infiltrator smirked, gesturing to the recordings and notes, his robe billowing gently. "Then I must compliment you on your research! The dedication and resolve that you show in studying these creatures of God, attempting to improve them as you have?" He looked down at the notes, "To attempt to improve them? Such are the thoughts of one who believes they know better than God!" His smirk became... Darker. "A blasphemous concept, such that I can only approve of!"</p><p><em>That... </em>Merlot stared at the man suspiciously while taking a step back. While inwardly he felt happy that somebody seemed to appreciate his work, the way which it was done made was raising warnings in his head.</p><p>"How did you break in here?" He barked out, deciding to ignore the previous statement, his muscles still tense, "And why?"</p><p>"Hmmm?" The man looked at him with a faint look of confusion on his face. "Why, I didn't break in anywhere, I was sent here. The nature of the sending such that it must have decided that you and I are of like kin."</p><p>Merlot frowned at the explanation, parsing it together in his own mind. "Somebody sent you? So... A teleportation Semblance?" he mused. "One that tried to match you with somebody like you?"</p><p>The man beamed at him "Indeed, it could be said that way."</p><p>Merlot glared at him. "A dangerous ability." he grunted, his eyes narrowing, "So who was it that sent you? And why?</p><p>The man sighed sadly. "I'm afraid that I wasn't made aware of the purpose of such, nor who it was that sent me. Last I recall was a blinding light that burnt all in front of me, right in the middle of my Grand Spectacle!" He shook his head. "After the light - I'm not sure where I was, or how long I was there, until I came here. Once here, I couldn't help but view the notes in front of me." His grin came back "Perhaps our Spectacle amused God enough that He wanted an encore?"</p><p>Merlot watched the man carefully, eyes narrowed. By all appearances, the man appeared to be truthful. "So which village are you from?" he asked. <em>His robes would be wildly out of place anywhere, but in a village one could get away with it...</em></p><p>The infiltrator waved his hand dismissively, "I lived in Anjou, though when I left the place had been going through some hard times." His smirk came back, seemingly darker.</p><p><em>Not lying, but definitely hiding stuff. Bah, what he hides hardly matters. </em>He pulled out his gun as the man turned his back to him and pointed it at him. Before he could pull the trigger, the tall man spoke up once more. "I admit to not getting far in these notes. Were you able to figure out why the early tests failed?"</p><p>Hearing that question almost made Merlot pull the trigger out of reflex, the frustration of the past slamming into him again. With a suspicious glare, Merlot stopped and looked at the man.</p><p>The infiltrator looked unconcernedly at the notes, "I haven't read them all" he said, "But you mention several times the struggles you were having." He stopped flipping through the book, lifting it up to show Merlot a graph displaying the lifespans of the captured Grimm. "Up, down, up, down" He stared at Merlot once more and lifted an eyebrow questioningly.</p><p><em>If he's mocking me... </em>"No" he said stiffly. "But I have several theories which have a decent probability of success." <em>Not really, but I refuse to admit as much to this man.</em></p><p>"I see." the infiltrator said thoughtfully. "If that is the case, then you probably aren't interested..." he paused, thinking silently.</p><p>"What?" Merlot questioned angrily. "I've spent years compiling this research, and you believe that you can just waltz in and come up with a better theory than anything that I've thought of?!"</p><p>The infiltrator still looked unconcerned, his dark robes flowing as he walked back to the paper with the graph. He pointed at it once more, "Up, down, up, down" he said while smiling, pointing at points on the graph. "You forget, these creature are creatures of God, and appear to be created with all the malicousness and evil he could place in them. Clearly as a way for God to amuse himself."</p><p>Merlot gave a snort at that, looking at him mockingly, but was unable to say anything before the man continued.</p><p>"As creatures of darkness, it is only natural that they feed off of the darkness of the human mind."</p><p>Another snort, and this time Merlot spoke up. "I see where you're going with this, and your theory is invalid." he looked at the infiltrator condescendingly. "The Grimm are capable of living in the wastelands for years, far from any human settlement. It's long been a fact that Grimm don't need either physical food to survive, nor do they depend on negativity, even if they are drawn towards it. Grimm have been known to spend decades without being near sources of negativity." He said, shaking his head.</p><p>Only to frown when he saw that the infiltrator was still smiling.</p><p>"How fortunate it is then that God has placed us together, two researchers working once more!" He proclaimed as he spun around, staring at Merlot once more. "But let me ask this of you, have you perhaps thought of how these creatures react to positive emotions?"</p><p>Merlot frowned in thought, "The Grimm have never been affected, adversely or otherwise, to sources of positivity." he admitted. "The best that can be said is that they aren't attracted to it."</p><p>"Perhaps" The other man said with a smile, "Or perhaps they reacted, and it simply went unnoticed." He pointed to the graph again. "When these fell beasts lasted longer, you would be happy, would you not? Tis only natural. Happy and hopeful for the next test." His finger pointed to the next spot. "And then, the next creature would fall quickly, being subjected to the positivity within you, without as much darkness to balance it out." The finger went to the next. "After having your hopes dashed as you had, the next subject would be able to feed off of your negativity, allowing it to grow stronger, and last longer!" He looked at Merlot again, his smile wide. "Truly, proof that God amused himself in watching you, for in effect - the variable you were forgetting" He pointed at Merlot, "Was yourself"</p><p>After hearing the theory, Merlot's eyes widened as he went over the evidence of the last several years. He could even go farther back, thinking of the experiments ran in Mt. Glenn. And thinking on it... He couldn't deny the potential.</p><p>So much time had been spent, trying to find a solution to this issue. Years of frustration and rage. Now, presented with a possible and probable solution, his tired and coffee filled mind latched onto it with glee.</p><p>"This... Could it be?" he muttered to himself, quickly lining the data up once more. His robotic eye started shining brighter as he got more excited. "Yes! Hahahahahah!" He laughed. "This could be it! The break I've been looking for!" His excitement lasted for several minutes, before his good mood slowly evaporated as he continued to think. "Hmmm, but if that's true, then I need a source of negativity to feed the Grimm... A way to test it."</p><p>He grimaced. That... Would not be easy.</p><p>"If I may, Doctor" Merlot jerked, spinning to look at the man he had forgotten in his excitement. "I find myself drawn to these sacrilegious experiments of yours, and would like to assist. To this end, if you could but point me towards the nearest village, I believe I can find a solution to our problem" The man said, his creepy smile in place once more.</p><p>Merlot stared at him for a long time, studying him, before slowly speaking, "An assistant?" <em>His idea with positive and negative emotions did have merit... </em>"Maybe I could agree to that." He held out his robotic hand carefully, "So what's your name?"</p><p>The man took his hand and shook, "You may call me Gilles." He said happily, "Gilles de Rais"</p><hr/><p>In the end, Merlot provided him with a shuttle and two of his robots. Partially to protect him, but also so that he could keep an eye on him and kill him if it looked like he was going to tell anybody. The man might have provided the solution to a years long problem, but he hadn't survived this long without being paranoid. He would wait and see what the man did. If he was able to provide a source of negativity, he would give the man a chance. Additionally, Gilles said that he believed his Semblance (He said abilty, but what else could it be but a Semblance?) might interact in interesting ways to Grimm. Which only brought up more questions that needed to be asked.</p><p>He watched through a camera as the three figures walked towards the shuttle. At one point, Gilles stopped and looked at the forest. Watching for a second, he reached inside his robes to bring out a book with odd markings on it. Too far away to zoom in properly on the details, he did see Gilles read something from the book, before closing it and continuing to walk on.</p><p>Unseen by Merlot, a Grimm that was watching from a distance started to writhe, as it felt itself being torn apart and molded into something new.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Is this my reward? Our last spectacle, did we amuse God enough that he decided to give me a second chance of seeing the light of my love once more? If such is the case, than we must do it again! No, not again - Bigger, Better! If we are being rewarded so, than that means that SHE is here. SHE shall recognize my work, and SHE shall come to me! With such at stake, I can't wait! Oh, how incredibly and amazingly COOOL this is!</em>
</p><hr/>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Man, half of this was easy to write - then I got to the other half, and it's like I hit a block... But now it's done. Let me know how you feel I did with my first villain. :) When I was first looking him up I was surprised to find out that in life, he did research into the occult with a friend, Francois Prelati. Gilles himself doesn't have much magical power, and it's only with Prelati's book of rituals that he can be a Caster of any sort.</p><p>I really hope that I did Dr. Merlot alright. He's not in the anime, and I really only know him through the RWBY wiki page, which doesn't have much on him... To anybody that believes that he's being too trusting with Gilles, don't worry. He does not trust him, and is prepared to shoot him if he makes the wrong move. However, he already proved that he had some worth, and he did compliment Dr. Merlot's research in his own way, so he's willing to give it a shot.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. To Protect Their Smiles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The wind rustled gently through the forest, the sound of the branches and leaves creating a constant background noise throughout the trees. Small animals could be heard rustling through the thick shrubbery, and small birds flew from branch to branch twittering softly. The barely risen shattered moon shone gently through the branches, casting a gentle pale glow across the ground.</p><p>Across the ground, occasionally there could be seen a pack of Beowolves, or on rare occasion Ursai. They would weave through the shadows of the trees, silently searching. The small animals of the forest would grow silent at their approach, but the Grimm never took notice. Ears perked, they heard the loud sounds of combat near the cliffs, and they started moving towards it. They never saw the person glaring at them from above, nor the death about to befall them.</p><p>Across the thick canopy of trees she ran, stopping every once in a while to look through the darkened forest. She had been Summoned here a couple days prior, and was left confused as to what she was meant to do. With no instructions to follow, she set about examining the surrounding area. It didn't take long for her to realize that she was on a rather large island. As she surveyed the land, she found a decently sized city, as well as a couple of small settlements. She did her best to avoid that area. Until she had a better grasp of what was going on, she would much prefer to stay in an environment that she was more familiar with.</p><p>Flowing through the branches, she made about as much sound as the wind did, with the animals hardly realizing she passed by. Every once in a while, she would spot one of the mockeries of regular animals. Eyes narrowed, she made sure to eliminate them quickly and without hesitation. Wild animals fell under the domain of her patron, and she would not let a mockery such as these Grimm corrupt her goddess's domain.</p><p>After several days of scouting the land, she was starting to get frustrated. While she appreciated the freedom that she had been given, not knowing what was going on was getting on her nerves. One didn't just summon a Heroic Spirit by accident, and it was clear to her that she was gaining energy from <em>somewhere, </em>she just couldn't figure out where.</p><p>As she traveled, she soon heard the sound of gunfire in the distance. Ears perked, she started heading in that direction. If she recalled correctly, that direction didn't have any settlement, only forest and the cliffs. She couldn't think of a reason for anybody to be out there, but they obviously had a gun, which meant they were prepared. She had no intention of joining in on their fight of course - if they were too weak to take out these Grimm, then they shouldn't have traveled out here. However, she was interested in observing how well the locals fought. If she ever had to fight them, it would be good knowledge to have.</p><p>Flowing through the tree's once more, like a ghost through the shadows, she followed the sound of gunshots. Even though the sounds were far away, in the silence of the forest the noise was very jarring, not only directing her to where she should go, but also more Grimm. Her eyes narrowed briefly before deciding to let them go. If this person was fine with making that much noise, then they should be strong enough to deal with the consequences.</p><p>She eventually made her way to the tree line, where she had the perfect view of the fighting.</p><p>Mere moments after viewing the fight, she forgot her decision to just stay back and watch. Her hands blurring, she brought up her bow and aimed at the horde of Grimm, panic momentarily over-ruling logic.</p><p>The Strong ruled over the Weak, and she never had any patience for those that were weak. Only the strong lived freely in the world, for that is the brutal lesson that she had been taught in the wilds when she was growing up.</p><p>However</p><p>Children were exempt from that rule in her eyes. That was a must. For how could they not be? How could one hold a child up to the standards of others? Children were still learning the ways of the world, they were still <em>innocent</em>. You couldn't tell how strong a child could be based on their current strength, you could only help them grow, and do your best to protect their smiles.</p><p>So when she saw two girls fighting the horde of Grimm, she didn't even have to think about it. She had made her decision on what to do many years before. It didn't matter that they were doing well, or that they didn't see perturbed at the number of Beowolves. All she cared about in that moment was making sure that the two kids in front of her didn't have to fight on their own.</p><p>Most animals protected their young with their life. Wolves? Bears? Lions? Though she learned to care for children from these creatures, she learned the most from personal experience.</p><p>Though many years had passed, she would never forget the despair that she felt when she was abandoned as a child. For that, she would never let a child suffer in her presence.</p><p>Targets sighted, her arrows let loose.</p><p>It didn't matter if she didn't know these children or not. She would protect them all the same.</p><hr/><p>Ruby decided that today was turning out to be a pretty good day as she casually blocked a punch from a Beowolf, firing Crescent Rose at the same time to propel herself away.</p><p>She had managed to sneak some cookies after breakfast, she was able to install some new upgrades in Crescent Rose, AND Yang agreed to come with her to visit Summer's grave!</p><p><em>Well, not that that last one was happy per se</em>, she corrected in her head as she dodged a leaping Grimm, quickly spinning and bisecting it.</p><p>It always made her feel sad when she visited Mom like that, but she always felt a lot better after doing so. Even better than spending the entire day at the weapons shop, which Yang and her Dad never let her do after that one time... But this time Yang wanted to come with her to visit Mom's grave, which immediately made the activity even better.</p><p>Ruby knew that she... wasn't the greatest at making friends. But how was it her fault that weapons were way more interesting than the other students? And the one time she had an interesting conversation with this one boy about the validity of making a shield that could double up as a buzz saw, her Uncle Qrow got annoyed at the poor boy for trying to, as he said, "woo" her. Which was just silly! He wanted to talk weapons, and she wanted to talk weapons. Nope, no wooing in sight, no sir.</p><p>After that happened, she felt justified in not socializing with the other students. It wasn't that she was socially awkward, she was just saving the other students from her Dad and Uncle Qrow's wrath! If anything, they should be giving her a medal for her sacrifice.</p><p>Ruby quickly launched herself out of range of the Beowolves and started firing at the Grimm that were closing in on Yang. Sure, Yang could handle herself, but they worked better when they were working together. Which, Ruby sighed sadly, hadn't been happening lately.</p><p>She had never felt the need to go out and socialize more. She had Yang, Dad and Uncle Qrow, and Crescent Rose! Why would she need more than that?</p><p>Because her list was so short, it made it all the more noticeable when Yang started pulling away and spending less time with her.</p><p>Dad and Uncle Qrow were understandable. Her Dad was a teacher at Signal, and that often kept him really busy for one reason or another. And then Uncle Qrow was a super awesome Huntsman! And he had a bunch of missions that he had to do. Once again, something that she understood.</p><p>But she and Yang used to spend a lot of time together! They were an amazing sister team! And she knew that Yang still loved her and everything, but for some reason Yang started going out more and doing who knows what a couple years ago. Ruby tried to go with her a few times, but the answers were always the same.</p><p>
  <em>"Sorry Rubes, not this time."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Sorry sis, I have some super secret big girl stuff to work on."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Maybe next time, don't you have homework to work on?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Don't tell Uncle Qrow or Dad about this, and just go play with a few friends for now."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I'll see you later tonight"</em>
</p><p>Ruby knew that Yang was strong. Stronger than she was, which is bound to happen with two more years of practice, so she probably didn't have anything to worry about. But still... To her, it felt like one of the people she relied on in life was leaving her for no reason. Yang always avoided the issue when she asked about it, and Ruby was never good enough with words to ask right.</p><p>That's what made these moments even more special to her. She always saw Yang at home in the evening of course, their Dad still assigned them curfew. But to spend the afternoon with Yang like this helped her forget how lonely she had been.</p><p>And now she was being given the perfect opportunity to test out those upgrades she made to Crescent Rose! She sighed happily as she dashed forward to behead a couple of Grimm that were trying to flank Yang.</p><p>Yep! Today was awesome!</p><p>Now if only these Grimm would stop coming so she could spend more time with Yang, then the day would be perfect.</p><p>Just as she launched herself in the air to aim at the Beowolves below, she was startled when numerous streaks of light from the forest streaked out and started killing the Grimm. At first she thought it was some kind of gun, but when she looked at the corpses of the Grimm she was surprised to see that each one had been stuck with an arrow.</p><p>With the added support of the archer in the trees, they were soon able to take out the rest of the Grimm fairly quickly. After she put Crescent Rose away, she looked at the person walking towards them. Once she got a closer look, her eyes went wide and she gasped excitedly.</p><p>Yep! Today just got perfect!</p><hr/><p>Yang looked at her sister and the new person and couldn't help but snicker.</p><p>The faunus that had helped them was walking with them back to their house, her weapons currently being held by Ruby, who was cooing at how beautiful they were.</p><p>Now, don't get her wrong, she enjoyed good weapons as well, and she loved the gold and black color scheme, but...</p><p>"This bow is so well crafted! And these daggers are amazing as well! What are their names? Did you make them? How long have you..."</p><p><em>But Ruby took it to the next level </em>Yang thought. Thankfully the woman didn't seem bothered by Ruby's obsession, and was actually smiling at her.</p><p>"Ruby!" Yang called out, interrupting her spiel. "You do realize that you have to give those back eventually, right?"</p><p>Ruby froze, looking back and forth between the weapons and the woman, her face the picture of pure sadness.</p><p>After seeing that, the woman quickly raised her hands and shook her head, "No, it's alright, you may hold them for now, I do not mind." After hearing that, Ruby gave a bright smile again, and the woman relaxed. "As for their names? My bow is named <em>Tauropolos</em>, though I'm afraid that I have never named my daggers." Ruby gave a gasp at that, "And they were a gift to me from an old friend." She concluded with a soft smile.</p><p>"B-but how can you NOT name your daggers?! Just look at how well forged they are! They should totally have names! Let me see.." And Ruby immediately started going through various name that she thought would be appropriate, while the woman viewed this with a smile.</p><p>Yang walked up to the two of them and started talking, now that Ruby was in her own world, "So, now that my sister has been properly introduced to your weapons, what's your name? And what're you doing here? I don't think I've seen you around town before." She asked, looking at the lady.</p><p>She gave Yang her full attention, "My name is Atalanta" she stated, "And I haven't really been in town. I prefer to live in the forest." she gestured to the woods around them.</p><p>Yang stumbled a little at that, "Wait, you live in the forest?" She asked incredulously. "Why would that be preferable?"</p><p>Atalanta gave a shrug, "My family was... not fond of me, and so they kicked me out when I was young. I've lived the majority of my life out in the forests."</p><p>Yang could only look at her in shock. She knew that some Faunus were mistreated in some places, but to kick out a child... No matter the reason, that was messed up.</p><p>At this point Ruby had stopped gushing over the weapons and was looking at Atalanta in horror. Atalanta looked at the two of them and quickly tried to calm them down, "It's alright, it happened a long time ago. Really, I find the woods to be very peaceful and relaxing, and -"</p><p>"You should come room with us!" Ruby interrupted, causing Atalanta to blink in surprise.</p><p>Yang glanced at Ruby teasingly, "Wow Rubes, I know that you like her weapons, but won't Crescent Rose get jealous?" Though inwardly, she was grateful that Ruby had suggested it. She would have volunteered if she hadn't.</p><p>Ruby flushed and glared at her, "YANG! It's not like that! We have a guest bedroom that's not being used, and Atalanta shouldn't have to sleep in the woods!"</p><p>"It's alright" Atalanta stated, looking nervous, "I wouldn't want to impose, and I truly don't mind sleeping out here."</p><p>"Nah, don't sweat it" Yang said dismissively. "Dad won't mind at all. Our cabin is actually in the woods as well, so you'll still be close by, and it'll be safer for you as well."</p><p>Atalanta looked at the both of them carefully before giving a small smile, "If you are sure, then I would be happy to accept for a short time at least."</p><p>"Yes!" Ruby said excitedly, "C'mon! We have to go and make sure Dad's alright with it, and then we can show you the house and everything!", and she rushed forward, grabbing both Atalanta's and Yang's hands.</p><p>Yang's eyes widened and she quickly tried to let go, "H-hey Rubes" she said quickly, "We can just walk there, there's no need to use your - "</p><p>Too late, Ruby activated her Semblance, and the next thing Yang saw was the blur of colors and the feeling of nauseas that always came with it. Really, she had no idea how Ruby got used to this...</p><p>But at least Ruby was happy, she reflected. She knew that Ruby was feeling lonely lately, and was aware that it was partially her own fault.</p><p>Yang had been going into town on her own, trying to find clues about Raven, her original mother. For some reason, her Dad was reluctant to tell her anything about her, and she couldn't figure out why. So she was determined to figure it out on her own.</p><p>She had been going to the seedy side of town, trying to ask around, and she had actually managed to find a few leads. However, this was definitely not something that she wanted to bring Ruby into. She still had nightmares of the time when she had brought Ruby to check out the old cabin in the woods that she thought Raven would be at. Because of what she did, both she and Ruby nearly died... Ruby was stronger now, she was aware of that, but she refused to be the one to put her sister at risk again.</p><p>Her reasons for trying to find Raven had changed over the years. Originally, it was because their Dad had been so heartbroken at the loss of Summer, and she wanted to bring her Mom back so she and Ruby could have a mother again.</p><p>But now they were grown up, and over the years her desires had changed somewhat. Now, she desperately wanted to figure out why. Why did Raven leave them? Was she forced to? Did she have other responsibilities?</p><p>… Did she not love them?</p><p>Raven had never been apart of their lives, but Yang desperately wanted to know these answers about her birth mother.</p><p>The world stopped spinning, and Yang went to her knees, trying to convince her head to stop spinning.</p><p>Breathing heavily, she looked exasperatedly at Ruby, who to her credit looked abashed at her actions.</p><p>Still, no matter what came, Yang was happy that Ruby didn't look sad anymore. She was going to have to try to balance her activities more. Maybe Atalanta being here would give Ruby some company and help alleviate those times when she was lonely.</p><p>Looking at Atalanta, Yang couldn't help but frown.</p><p>
  <em>Why wasn't she looking nauseas from the experience? That wasn't fair at all!</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'd like to thank Valkoor123113 for giving the idea for Atalanta meeting Ruby and Yang, and I congratulate "The Neckbeard Knight" for guessing her. I was actually contemplating several different servants for this one. Another one that a couple people recommended was Minamoto no Raiko, which I gave a lot of thought for. I ended up not choosing her because at this point in their lives, Ruby and Yang aren't really looking for another mother in my opinion. Now, Yang is looking for HER mother, but I believe that that is more to answer questions that she had as opposed to her wanting Raven to come back and actually be a mother. Of course, if I had had the summoning be several years prior, then I think that Minamoto would have had more appeal. Either way, I thank you for the suggestion.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. How to Make Friends and Influence People</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A figure carefully looked around on the rooftops while keeping to the shadows, extending her senses and doing her best to ignore the crowds below.</p><p>She was being followed - that much she was aware of. Unfortunately, she wasn't aware of who was doing the following, nor even what they looked like. She didn't get the sense of danger from them though, which was odd. If anything, there was a sense of... playfulness? A sense of eagerness, which wasn't something that she had felt before while being chased. And that confused her quite a bit.</p><p>In truth, the only reason she was aware that she was being followed was due to her instincts. The person following was good, and it was only through years of experience that she was able to confirm that she was being followed.</p><p>She quickly ducked into an alley, moving swiftly through it as she sensed the presence passing over her.</p><p>Though she was tempted to try following the presence herself, to turn the tables on them, she had a feeling that that would be a mistake against this type of hunter. She was used to hiding in the shadow or the crowd, waiting for the moment to strike. Or she would draw prey in close before killing them.</p><p>Carefully sliding through a burned down warehouse, she felt the presence return. With a quiet sigh of exasperation, she slipped into one of the ruined rooms and waited in the shadows until the presence left. After waiting a few minutes to make sure the coast was clear, she quickly shapeshifted into the form of an old lady and walked out into the streets. Sticking to the edges of the crowd, being very careful not to touch anybody, she slowly walked and watched.</p><p>The presence returned, and she was able to get a quick glimpse of pink through the crowds, but it soon vanished.</p><p>Eyes narrowed, she continued to wander.</p><p>As interesting as this was, she was very confused as to why somebody would be following her. She hadn't done anything to garner attention these last few days, so what was going on?</p><hr/><p>On top of the rooftop, Neopolitan looked for her quarry, gleefully smiling at the fun game of hide and seek they were having.</p><p>It had been years since she had found somebody that could play as well as this person. Roman had stopped playing a while ago, she remembered with a pout.</p><p>True, he wasnt very good at the game, but he was so much fun to mess with she thought with a snicker.</p><p>Usually she could only play with people that Roman asked her to help with these days, but they were usually more interested in the "running" aspect of the game, and less the "hiding", which made it boring. Honestly, it sometimes upset her enough that she couldn't even enjoy the "stabbing" portion of the game. Some people were so rude...</p><p>Of course, ever since... SHE... and her stooges came, she had a lot less time to play. She couldn't even play with "Tin Toes" or "Sticky Fingers" without getting into trouble she thought with a scowl, her anger almost pushing away the enjoyment she had been having from the current game.</p><p>Work was less fun when she was being forced to do it she decided.</p><p>She pushed those thoughts away as she turned her attention back to the game. She had actually nearly missed this person when she was walking through the streets that morning. She had been walking through an alley, and she had seen this person change their face! Sure, it wasn't like what she did, but it still piqued her interest. After that, she started following them, only for them to start to actually start to play the game correctly!</p><p><em>Whoever they are, they are really good at hiding,</em> she mused. Glancing carefully through the crowd, she spotted an old lady that felt off to her senses, and she gleefully jumped towards them.</p><p>A brief thought went through her mind, <em>Was I supposed to do something else today?</em> <em>Eh, probably not important. Roman would have told me otherwise.</em></p><hr/><p>Junior's Bar was unusually silent. People had not started coming in for dinner yet, and the DJ was casually preparing his music. Junior could be seen at one of the booths, interviewing a blue haired man for a bouncer position, with his two nieces listening in and smirking at the man. Numerous gang members could be seen around the area as well, some lounging, others cleaning the area behind the bar and the kitchen.</p><p>As for customers, only two could be seen in one of the booths. To the eyes of most, it appeared to be a pleasant conversation. Two people getting to know each other.</p><p>One was a younger man in his 20's. White suit, orange hair covered by a bowler hat, and expensive cigar in hand. With a cane at his side and a smile on his face, he appeared to be the perfect gentleman.</p><p>The other was an older man in his 50's. An old fashioned vest, white slicked back hair and a mustache, and a beautiful black cloak with rich blue lining. His own cane at his side, he gave the impression of being a kindly professor.</p><p>Junior glanced their way occasionally while conducting the interview a couple tables away. From his perspective? Underneath the façade, each one was a predator, testing the waters and getting the measure of each other.</p><p>"So, how long do you intend to be in town for?" Roman asked, a barely detected glint in his eye. "Is this a social call? Or for business? A few friends of mine told me that they had bumped into you and had a nice conversation."</p><p>The older man chuckled, "Oh, you must mean Fang and his boys! A rowdy bunch to be sure, but pleasant enough company. And it was purely social - I'd hate to do anything to bother their lives."</p><p>"Ha! Yeah, those rascals can get a little rowdy, but they're nice boys to know when you need stuff cleaned up." Roman said, his hard smile remaining in place. "I also heard that you ran into Big Daddy Bronson, right? How'd that go for you?"</p><p>The man shook his head in mock sadness. "Oh please, when you get to my age, you don't call anybody 'Big Daddy'" he stated, "Mr. Bronson and I had a perfectly pleasant conversation though. He's quite the author you see" his eyes glittered with mirth, "He's gotten quite a few books written up, and we chatted about one for a while."</p><p>Roman's eyes went up in surprise, "Oh? I'm surprised he allowed that! He's usually pretty self conscious about his books you know." he looked at the older man with slightly narrowed eyes. "So how long were you planning on staying in town for? Things have been heating up around here lately, criminals and all that, you know? Vale isn't exactly the safest place around anymore."</p><p>The man waved his hand dismissively, "Oh, I'm sure that all of that is just rumor and hearsay. But to be honest, I was really only planning on staying in town for..." He thought about it for a bit before smiling again, "Probably another two weeks I imagine. Maybe sooner if I see everything I want to! Vale is a big place after all, and sometimes it's hard to find the things you need, am I right?" He asked with a sly smile.</p><p>Roman chuckled with him, the tension rising slightly, "Oh, I know what you mean. I find that the trick is to come to the city with a friend. I have somebody that's a wiz at finding everything I need whenever I go to someplace new."</p><p>"Oh really?" the man perked up "Well, I might have to borrow your friend for a day! Exploring the city is so much more interesting when you have a friend with you."</p><p>"Eh, I'll ask and see what she says. I was actually hoping to introduce the two of you today! But looks like she got hung up somewhere." He said with a frown.</p><p>The other man shrugged easily, "Oh well, perhaps later then. Sounds like you're a lucky man, for that sort of friend is always useful to have. Would you know of anybody else that could be a guide? Or," he seemed to perk up "perhaps you could give me directions yourself? You seem like a dependable chap, and I wouldn't be opposed to becoming friends"</p><p>Roman grimaced, "Unfortunately, I've been a little pressed for time as of late. I've got another friend that's been pretty demanding, and I sometimes have to babysit her kids. Additionally, I'm afraid that we don't know each other quite that well just yet"</p><p>"Hmmm" the man hummed in understanding. "Well, not friendship then, but perhaps simply keeping in touch? Consider it a trial run for our friendship?"</p><p>Roman arched an eye, "With you leaving town soon?"</p><p>The other man waved his hand dismissively. "Long distance friendships are just as important as short distance ones!" He defended. "Besides! In our work, it's always useful to have friends in all sorts of distances, wouldn't you agree?"</p><p>"Heh, and I thought you said that you weren't here for business."</p><p>"Oh trust me, our interaction has been purely social, I assure you."</p><p>About half an hour later, and they both stood up and started walking out. The older man quickly reaching behind their booth and collected a large coffin-like box, hefting it on his back, and then following Roman, who glanced at it in confusion.</p><p>"You sure you've got that old man?" He asked, to which he received a laugh in reply.</p><p>"Thank you for your consideration young man," he replied, giving Roman an easy smile, "But one actually gets used to the weight after a time, so there is no need to worry."</p><p>Roman shrugged, "If you say so - it's your back. So what's in there that you want to keep close to you?"</p><p>Another chuckle, "Oh, a bit of this, and a bit of that. You see, I have often find myself worried that I'll find myself in a situation where I won't have the right tool for the right job. My solution?" he gestures to the box. "To carry all of the tools with me!" He said with a bright smile. "Although, this particular box has a certain... Sentimental value to it as well. Trust me, it is fitting that I carry it with me."</p><p>Roman chuckled at that, "Well, like I said, it's your back." He then started looking around before saying "I'll be seeing you around. I've got to find my friend. I hope that your trip reaches a swift conclusion." And with that, he walked off, cane in hand.</p><p>The other man gave a smirk, "Oh, you and me both."</p><hr/><p>Roman looked at the back of the man as he walked away with his coffin. <em>"Definitely not a thing I was expecting to see anytime soon."</em> he decided.</p><p>That man was dangerous. Oh, he wasn't positive about his physical capabilities. But age in this business could mean one of two things - either they were smart enough to avoid deadly circumstances, or they were strong enough to take on those deadly circumstances. Either way, it says that they've gained a lot of experience. And that translated into dangerous.</p><p>Which is why it was so odd that he's never heard of the guy before. You didn't gain that kind of experience bossing around the yokels of a settlement - this guy carried himself like a city boy. If he didn't know better, he would've said Atlas.</p><p>Except he did know better, and this guy certainly wasn't active in Atlas while he was there.</p><p><em>A background check then,</em> he decided. <em>It's always possible that I missed something while I was there. I'll decide what to do after that.</em></p><p>It was clear that the guy was familiarizing himself with the local criminals. After he had heard of him visiting the third group, he reached out and asked to meet the guy himself. For the newbie to not only meet with numerous criminal groups, but to have a civilized conversation with them and leave with them <em>liking</em> him? Something wasn't quite adding up. And now, having met the guy, he could see what the other groups had seen. This new guy was VERY charismatic. While not necessarily a bad thing, it did mean that he would have to be more on guard than usual around him.</p><p>Roman gave a quick sigh. Whatever he decided to do, he was hopeful that the guy would leave in a few weeks like he said. A dangerous, unknown player running around town while there was already a dangerous, slightly known player was a recipe for hazardous times for Roman. At least this new guy was willing to act nice, which is something that Cinder never did. Additionally, the guy was likable, and had good fashion sense. Roman could spare a warning for the guy for that.</p><p>With that thought, he reached his and Neo's safe house and walked in.</p><p>"Hey, Neo!" he called out, walking to the kitchen. "Where've you been? I had to meet the new guy at Junior's without you!"</p><p>Walking past the living room, he glanced and saw Neo sitting on the couch sharing a carton of neopolitan ice cream with somebody. She looked up at him with wide eyes, attempting to look innocent.</p><p>Roman snorted, "Yeah, not falling for that one. So what caught your attent…" He stopped suddenly, looking at the scene again.</p><p>Now, he was used to seeing strange scenes, but every once in a while something happened that would surprise him again, and he had always found it best to take a step back and carefully evaluate all the variables.</p><p>Neo was here, eating ice cream. <em>K, that was normal.</em></p><p>Neo was sitting here with another woman. In THEIR safehouse. <em>Hmmm, ok, not so normal.</em></p><p>Said woman was wearing a strange White Fang mask, so most likely Faunus. <em>Odd, but not terribly abnormal.</em></p><p>Neo was sharing HER ice cream with somebody else. <em>And here's the real snag. That was EXTREMELY abnormal!</em></p><p>… This was Neo, right?</p><p>He glanced at her suspiciously, looking at her eyes. She still had the wide eyes of somebody that had innocently forgotten something, her hands on her chest as if in shock, and her mouth mouthing the word "Oops!". But those eyes held the infinite mischievousness that he was very much familiar with. Yep, that was Neo.</p><p>"So," he said slowly, looking at the new person who simply stared at him. "I, uh, thought that we talked about not bringing strays home Neo?"</p><p>Not that he could stop her if she really wanted to, and he did trust her... But a little heads up would have been nice!</p><p>Her hands immediately launched into a series of signs, as if she was explaining the situation, and he simply looked on and made appropriate noises here and there. Neo was a master of LOOKING like she was trying to say something, but she couldn't fool him. At least, not anymore... She could get people to understand her when she wanted, but when she wanted to mess with people (which was all the time) or if she just didn't want to explain something (Also all the time) then she would pretend to try to communicate until the other side got frustrated with her.</p><p>"Ah, well that explains it." He said in an understanding tone. <em>Yep, it explains that you don't want to talk about it! "</em>Well, so long as you take care of it, then I suppose you can keep it." Although she was wearing a mask, he could practically <em>feel </em>the killing intent from this person. <em>Maybe that's what brought them together?</em></p><p>After that, he proceeded to go to the kitchen and started looking for something to eat. Dealing with a Neo was bad enough, but throw in somebody that Neo liked? Yeah, nope. That was one fight he wasn't going to try winning.</p><hr/><p>Serenity looked curiously at the odd human that had chased her for most of the afternoon. She had grown tired of the continual chase, and found a private location to confront the person chasing her. The tri-colored girl showed up soon after, clapping her hands in excitement. After a bit of trouble with communicating with each other, she had been informed by the girl that they were now "best friends", and proceeded to drag her over to her house to chat some more.</p><p>That had been... Unexpected.</p><p>Apparently Neo considered them similar enough, and that she was "fun" enough, that she warranted the title of best friend.</p><p>While she wasn't exactly sure about all of this, she was grateful for the distraction. Before this, she had been unsure of what she should do. Whatever it was that summoned her was providing her energy, so she had no need to kill people for their energy, and there was no master to insist that she kill others. Even before she died, there was always stuff that needed to be done - missions to complete, assassinations to plan out, etc.</p><p>This is why when Neo was 'hunting' her, she was willing to play along. She had nothing better to do, and Neo's presence wasn't threatening.</p><p>She would continue to watch and wait, but having somebody to be around, even if she couldn't touch them, would make the waiting easier.</p><p><em>Now if I can find somebody that I can touch without killing them, then this world would be perfect </em>she thought to herself as she watched Neo explain what certain signs meant. After watching a bit, she frowned slightly as she thought of a request that Neo had asked of her. <em>Why did Neo ask me to pretend I couldn't speak when Roman was</em> <em>around?</em></p><hr/><p>After Roman had left, the older man started walking the other direction, humming to himself as he thought about what he had learned.</p><p>He had thought that he would have to face opposition from somebody in the criminal underworld if he tried to integrate himself into it, and was surprised when he found a distinct LACK of said organization. Oh, there were groups here and there, but no over arching hierarchy. Simply a few high ranking singular players, like Roman Torchwick, or gangs, like Juniors.</p><p>He shifted the coffin on his back, grunting a little from the weight as he thought carefully.</p><p>When he had originally asked around trying to sound out who a leader might be, he had received Roman's name quite a bit, which led to him wanting to meet the man to determine how best he could manipulate him. But now, upon meeting him, his thoughts changed.</p><p>Oh, manipulation was still on the table. But though Roman Torchwick was a powerful criminal, and some might call him a criminal mastermind, it just wasn't on the same level that HE was at. A Rook comparing himself to that of a King.</p><p>Now, that certainly wasn't an insult. The impression he got was that Roman didn't have the desire to run an organization. He was a 'doer', somebody that went in by himself or with a small group and got stuff done, using his reputation to push people along the way. In that, he had no doubt that Roman was amongst the best. He was a model gentleman thief - He followed his own set of rules, which bolstered his own reputation and helped his job. If he robbed somebody, people knew that if they stayed calm and did as they were told, nobody would get hurt. People knew he followed those rules, and that kept them safe, which in turn kept Roman safe.</p><p>He was the best at what he did. That did not extend to overseeing large groups of people.</p><p>With that in mind, it would be better in the long term to become friends with him, and hire him occasionally for jobs. This would lead to a mutually beneficial relationship between the two of them.</p><p>At least, that's how it would have been. The more he met with the various criminal elements, the more he found out that there appeared to be somebody who very recently came onto the criminal scene and has been forcing the criminals to work together.</p><p>He sniffed in derision. True, he used those tactics on people before as well, but to use them on everybody? That just screamed of incompetence. Eventually you would push them too far, and once the pressure reached the right point it would blow up, and then EVERYBODY would be after you. It was much better idea to use a variety of tactics to get people to work for you. Blackmail, diplomacy, intimidation, bribery, etc. All had their place in the grand web of intrigue. For somebody to just force everybody to work together via intimidation said they were powerful, yet inexperienced.</p><p>
  <em>Or they were planning on using them, only to throw them away.</em>
</p><p>He continued to walk away confidently. He would follow through with Roman's advice for now. If he were to build up his empire once more, then he wanted to get a good grasp of all of the players, and from what he's heard, the biggest players lived in Mistral. There, he was sure he would find a criminal organization, even if it only spanned over Mistral itself.</p><p>A smile adorning his lips, he thought about his current situation once more. To create his empire from scratch? What a frustrating, yet exciting prospect. This was not something that could be accomplished easily nor quickly, but he was a patient man. He did it once, and he would do it again.</p><p>Of course, if he were to do this, that Cinder girl would clearly have to go. She had her own agenda, and didn't seem to like playing ball with others. Furthermore, based on the fear that people had in her power, she might actually be a Servant. He tapped his cane thoughtfully.</p><p>He would have to think of a way to deal with her... But that would have to wait for the future. Not now, when her strength was still undetermined. He himself was still weak and not ready for combat, even with his... Adjustments. He would take the time to build his empire and increase his strength, while learning more about hers.</p><p>With that though, Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime, started whistling cheerfully as he disappeared into the darkness.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Summoning Surge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"Sometimes... The right person in the wrong place can make all the difference... in the world. Other times... the wrong person in the right place can cause the greatest of damage... And when you're not sure which will cause which, and your desire is simply to create a different future... Why not use them all?"</p>
<p>-Shadowstp, butchering quotes of others and adding to it</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>A Father's Pride</strong>
</p>
<p>It was the last day of the work week, so the bar was filled with happy patrons. Many of the people had formed groups and were loudly talking to each other about how their week went - their voices and actions becoming more exaggerated as the night went on.</p>
<p>In one corner of the bar, away from the other patrons, Taiyang Xiao Long sat and looked through his Scroll, pictures of his daughters scrolling by.</p>
<p>He had been worried when the new girl, Atalanta, was dragged to their house and he had been asked if she could stay. He didn't know her, and he hadn't seen her around town. However, both Ruby and Yang had wanted to help the girl, so he was willing to let her stay for a while.</p>
<p>And if Ruby or Yang accused him of staying up that night in the living room just in case, he would deny it thoroughly.</p>
<p>But it seemed that his fears were unwarranted. He questioned her about her intentions, saw the effect that she was having on the girls, and he was surprised to see that they were happier.</p>
<p>Oh, that wasn't to say that they were unhappy before. But he knew his daughters well. He could see how Ruby had been having difficulties in making friends, and was feeling lonely because Yang was drawing away. Likewise, he could see that Yang was drawing away because she didn't want to include Ruby in her "extracurricular" activities.</p>
<p>Oh, he knew about what she was doing. Maybe not all of the details, but he knew. Yang did NOT inherit subtlety from her parents. She probably got that from him... Unfortunately, he wasn't sure what to do about it. If he were to talk to her about it, she would simply try to be sneakier, or do something more dangerous to try to get answers.</p>
<p>He sighed sadly. One day he would have to tell her about Raven, he was aware of that. But until then, he would do his best to shield his daughter from the truth.</p>
<p>He tried to do his best for his daughters, and tried to be there for them as much as he could, but he had his job as a teacher. It paid alright, and he needed the money to support his family. That made it difficult to actually be there for them. Qrow helped when he could, but he was so busy going off on missions for Ozpin that they would go months without seeing him.</p>
<p>To be honest, he felt overwhelmed most of the time. He had thought that he had been overwhelmed when Summer was still around, but when she disappeared (and after he had gotten out of his depression from that) then he knew the true meaning of overwhelmed. He loved his daughters with all of his might, but he was constantly worrying over whether or not he was doing the right thing for them. Seeing Ruby grow sadder, and seeing Yang grow more distant... it hurt him.</p>
<p>And now, somehow, Atalanta had slid into their family and somehow clicked. <em>Or maybe that should be Atal'Aunt'ta</em> he chuckled to himself. Honestly, he felt that she fit into the role of an aunt very easily. She loved spending time with Ruby, and after calming Atalanta down after she heard about the girls goals of becoming Huntresses, she was very supportive about the idea of helping them get stronger. Yang was still distant, and he was positive that she was still going out and making inquiries, but she was participating more with Ruby as they spent time with Atalanta. It wasn't perfect, but it was an improvement. And that he was able to spend time with a happy Ruby and Yang at the end of the day made everything worth it.</p>
<p>He then heard somebody chuckle behind him, and the stool beside him was pulled out and suddenly occupied. Looking over he saw a tall man with broad shoulders and muscles that you could only get from years of fighting. It only took a second for Tai to decide that this man was either a Hunter or somebody of similar strength. Before he could say anything, the stranger beat him to it.</p>
<p>"I recognize that type of sigh." He said with a fond smile. "Kids?" he asked, nodding towards the Scroll.</p>
<p>Getting over his surprise, Tai chuckled along with the man, nodding at him. "Yep, just thinking about my family" he replied easily. "I assume that you have kids of your own?" he inquired curiously.</p>
<p>The stranger nodded, taking a small sip of his drink before answering. "Yes, I have two" he said in a fond voice. "One boy, one girl. They're all grown up now, and I actually haven't seen them in a while" his tone turned a bit sad. "I'm hoping to be able to visit them soon."</p>
<p>Tai winced in sympathy, putting his hand on the guy's shoulder. "That's rough" he agreed "And they haven't contacted you at all?"</p>
<p>He gave another shrug "Until recently it's been... Difficult. For all of us. But I have a feeling that things have changed for us now" he said evasively. Tai wasn't sure what the issue was, but decided not to pursue it. That was certainly none of his business.</p>
<p>Instead, he said "So go ahead and tell me about your kids" while leaning back and getting comfortable. He always enjoyed telling others about the two joy's (and sometimes headaches) in his life, and he had a feeling this man was the same.</p>
<p>The other man smiled and leaned back with his drink as well. "Well" he began "Before we begin, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Ector" he raised his glass in greeting, to which Tai returned the gesture. "As I said, I have two kids. Kay, the elder, is a boy. A very talented swordsman, always willing to jump into a fight. But he also has a playful nature, and he's always trying to get his sister to laugh" he said with a snicker. "My daughter, Arturia, is extremely dedicated fighter as well. She's been determined since she was young to protect everybody that she could, and she's done her best to fulfill that promise" He finished with a smile.</p>
<p>Tai smiled along with him. It was obvious from the way that the guy was talking that he loved his kids. He wasn't sure why Ector's kids hadn't contacted him in a while, but he hoped that it was actually for a legitimate reason.</p>
<p>After they both drank some more, Tai set his drink down and started speaking again, "That's kinda funny actually," He said in amusement, "Your description of your kids actually matches mine quite a bit. The main difference is that I have two daughters..."</p>
<p>And with that, two single men bonded over talking about their kids for hours, and discussed some of the things they had gone through over the years. Meanwhile, while training in the forest, Ruby and Yang both had a feeling of dread come over them, and they had a sneaking suspicion their Dad was telling embarrassing stories about them... Unfortunately, they didn't think about it long before they had to dodge more blunted arrows from Atalanta, and soon the feeling was forgotten.</p>
<p>Far away, both Kay and Arturia felt the same feeling of dread come over them. Given time, they forgot about the feeling as well.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sir Ector - Rider</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>The Eldest Knight of the Round Table</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Are you our mother?</strong>
</p>
<p>Night in Vale wasn't nearly as cold as it would be in Atlas, but at this time of year it was still known to get pretty chilly. With the tall buildings, the dark, and the foreboding silence, it wasn't strange for the atmosphere to become a bit creepy.</p>
<p>In these streets, a child walked, wearing an old and ratty cloak, from which white hair could be seen poking out. Her head downcast, she wandered listlessly through the streets as she was lost in her fragmented memories.</p>
<p>Though she wasn't in London, she couldn't help but let her memories drag her back. She coughed violently for a bit, the feeling of smog assaulting her though there was none around her, and she pulled her cloak tighter, shivering as she remembered a biting wind, colder than what was currently blowing through the streets.</p>
<p><em>Why? Why do we have to go through this again?</em> she thought, unable to prevent the tears from forming. <em>Why couldn't we be with Mother? Why did she leave us? It's been so long, but we still remember...</em> *sniff*<em> I-its not fair! W-we j-just want to be warm and safe...</em></p>
<p>The sound of machinery could be heard in the distance, with the sounds and smells of the wharf closer by. Familiar sights and sounds, but far from comforting to her, and only managing to deepen her despair. She wandered through a couple of allies, trying to find someplace to try and rest. Hopefully the rats would leave her alone tonight.</p>
<p>As a Heroic Spirit, she didn't need as much sleep, even weakened as she was. But that fact hardly registered in her mind. She was wandering the streets of London once more, in her ever continuous search of trying to find even a single source of comfort.</p>
<p>As she wandered, she came across a park and saw a woman wandering through it, apparently on a walk, and she automatically walked over to her.</p>
<p>It was a question asked many times, though she never kept count. She already knew the answer that would be given, yet it never stopped her from asking. It wasn't from stubbornness, nor naivete, but from hope. However slim, no matter how many times it was dashed, she hoped and prayed that they would one day find their mother.</p>
<p>And yet to her shock, before she could say anything, the woman gasped and ran towards her "Oh my- are you alright child? What are you doing out here alone?"</p>
<p>Surprised <em>(This... hasn't happened before)</em> she nonetheless looked up at the woman and quietly asked the question she had asked many times before<em> (maybe this time will be different?)</em>, "A-are you our mother?" in a trembling voice.<em> (Nobody's said yes before, why should we expect it to change now?)</em></p>
<hr/>
<p>Glynda looked at the small child in shock. She had been on her way back to Beacon and had wanted to the scenic route back. The temperature was brisk, yet she still found it pleasant, and she was enjoying the quiet. Though she enjoyed teaching the younger generation of Hunters and Huntresses, the word "quiet" could never be applied to them.</p>
<p>And yet, as she wandered through the park, she saw a small figure in a horribly ratty cloak. While suspicious at first, she was soon shock when she realized that it was a small child. Upon rushing over, she observed that the child was wearing extremely worn out clothing underneath that terrible cloak. She was clearly dirty, and her white hair looked brown in places.</p>
<p><em>Why is a child this young walking around this late at night?</em> she thought with a sinking feeling. She had a feeling she already knew.</p>
<p>She made it to the child and started asking her questions while giving her a better look to see if she had any injuries, "Oh my- are you alright child? What are you doing out here alone?"</p>
<p>The child looked honestly surprised at the question, almost like she wasn't expecting Glynda to acknowledge her, and instead of answering her she asked one of her own. "A-are you our mother?"</p>
<p>Looking into the child's eyes, she couldn't help but feel her heart break a little. They were filled with so much more pain and anguish than any child should have. Letting her hand brush through the child's matted hair, she smiled sadly at her when she saw the child widen her eyes as she pushed her head into the hand, prolonging the contact.</p>
<p>Trying to keep her voice soft, she asked "Where are you living child?" Only to frown when she saw the child wilt a little as she gestured towards the nearby alley.</p>
<p>She was going to have to talk to the orphanages in the area to see if anybody recognized this child. If she used to be in an orphanage and they didn't realize that she had gone missing, then she would definitely need to have words with the caretakers. Not only was her state of dress unacceptable, but she could see how thin the child was. Regardless, it appeared thus far that this child had nowhere to go, and the state of her clothes supported this. With that, her mind was made up.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Jackie felt her hopes crash as she gestured to the alley. Once again, it seemed like she was being pushed away. But before she could move away or let the tears fall she felt a pair of arms go around her and lift her up. Stunned, she looked into the lady's emerald green eyes.</p>
<p>As she stared, the lady started walking away with Jackie in her arms "Well, let's go" the lady said in a soothing voice. "I'm afraid I don't have any clothes that will fit you, but I do have food and a spare bed that you can have."</p>
<p>Jackie continued to stare, feeling the tears start to fall from her eyes. Before she could stop herself, she heard herself asking again, "Are you our mother?", this time her voice contained more hope than sadness. Dimly, she heard the reply</p>
<p>"Why don't we get you some food and a warm bed. After you get some sleep, then we can talk about it in the morning, ok?"</p>
<p>She didn't need to listen to anything more than "food", "warm", and "in the morning". That told her everything she needed to know. The woman was giving them someplace warm to be, and was planning on seeing them again. Currently in the woman's arms, she latched her own arms around her new mother, openly crying.</p>
<p>
  <em>T-thank you... Thank you mother...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Jack the Ripper - Assassin<br/></strong>
  <em>
    <strong>Legendary Serial Killer</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Authors Note:<br/></strong>
  <strong><em>I give credit to </em>"leo247"<em> for the idea of pairing Jackie with Glynda. I knew that I wanted Jackie in, but had been tossing ideas back and forth as to how she should be introduced.</em></strong>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Brothers in blood, bonds of the heart</strong>
</p>
<p>The sound of hammers rang across the street of the settlement in the early morning, serving as a wake up call for those closest to the activity.</p>
<p>Emma Zure woke up to the sound and slowly made her way over to the window, smiling as she caught sight of the two making the sound.</p>
<p>She had lived in this settlement all her life. She had married, had several kids and watched them grow up. Now though, she was in her seventies. Her husband had died after a Grimm attack, and her kids had grown up and moved away.</p>
<p>She didn't begrudge them for moving - they had their own lives to live, and she didn't want to hold them back. And they contacted her when they could, so she was happy.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, she was getting to that age where she couldn't do what she used to, and her house and she had started falling into disrepair despite her best efforts. Not that it was unlivable by any means, but things were getting worn down and she couldn't do much about it.</p>
<p>And then those two boys showed up.</p>
<p>Emma hummed to herself as she started cooking up some breakfast for the boys and herself.</p>
<p>The two boys had arrived just the previous day. They had knocked on her door just as she was getting ready to go to bed, and had asked her if she had a room that they could use to spend the night.</p>
<p>Although they had never given their relationship towards each other, she pegged them as brothers… There was just something about them that she as a mother sensed in them.</p>
<p>The older one looked fit enough to be a Hunter, and she saw the experience in his eyes as he looked over the place. Despite that, they had nothing but kindness when he looked at her. Tall, slender, and the most interesting silver grey hair.</p>
<p>The younger one wasn't nearly as experienced. Oh, the poor dear tried, but she could easily see his nervousness as he looked around. He was also tall and had some muscles on him, he seemed more frail than his older brother.</p>
<p>They seemed sincere, and so she had given them one of the empty rooms. Honestly, it had been so long since she had used them that she was embarrassed by the dust that had collected, but they had been very grateful nonetheless.</p>
<p>And now she had woken up this morning to the sound of them fixing the roof to her shed.</p>
<p>Finishing breakfast, she walked outside and called out to them, "Alright boys, that's enough noise-making. C'mon and get cleaned up for some breakfast now."</p>
<p>As the two of them started down from the roof of the shed, she noticed how the elder brother wasn't even sweating from the work being done, while the younger was starting to sweat from the work.</p>
<p>"Really boys" she lightly scolded them "You didn't have to do any of that - especially with how tired you must be! You did get enough sleep, didn't you?" She glared at them suspiciously.</p>
<p>The elder brother smiled gently at her, "Don't worry, we did ma'am" he reassured her with a small chuckle, "And we did it because we wanted to do it. What kind of guests would we be if we didn't help out our host when she needs it?"</p>
<p>She gave him a light slap on the arm "Ooh, I can already tell that you're a charmer" she said slyly "I bet the ladies are all over you" she saw him flinch slightly and immediately changed the subject "Alright, enough chit chat, the food is going to get cold!"</p>
<p>As they all sat down to eat they kept a light discussion throughout the breakfast, mostly talking about the state of the village and the various things going on.</p>
<p>"While I appreciate you boys being willing to help out like you are, it seems awfully odd for two boys to come to a small settlement like this" she stated about halfway through their breakfast, "What happened to your family"</p>
<p>She then saw both of them flinch, and the younger one spoke up and said "They… Aren't around any more" and her heart went out to them. Their families were probably killed by Grimm. Goodness knows it has happened to too many people.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry for your loss" she said quietly "And what about girls? You're at that age when you should start going out with them" She then saw the younger man grow flustered, his face going red. Aha!</p>
<p>"Or maybe" she said casually, "You already have a girl?"</p>
<p>The boys eyes went wide and he waved his hands in front of his body quickly "N-no! I-I'm not, I mean, w-we're not, uh"</p>
<p>Oh, he's at THAT stage is he? She had raised several boys, she knew how this went.</p>
<p>She then turned to the elder, "Really," she scolded him, "It's the job of the elder brother to help the younger brother realize when he has a crush!" Or to tease him mercilessly when said younger brother gains the crush.</p>
<p>The younger man looked more confused at that, but the elder immediately gained a teasing glint in his eye as he leaned towards her "Please, don't be too hard on him," he asked, which caused the younger to calm down slightly "He's just shy about the girl he likes" he concluded with a smile, causing the younger brother to immediately panic even more.</p>
<p>"Siegfried!" he gasped, "Ma'am, please, you have it all wrong!"</p>
<p>"So you didn't tell me last night how much you admire her and wanted to help her?" Siegfried questioned with the teasing glint in his eye.</p>
<p>"Well, yes, but we weren't -"</p>
<p>"And didn't you also say that she managed to save your heart?" he continued.</p>
<p>"T-that's taken out of context! I -"</p>
<p>He was then interrupted by Emma, "Well, when you're saying stuff like THAT about a girl, it's no wonder you can't convince anybody" she said with a smirk. "So what does she think of you then?" she asked.</p>
<p>He hesitated for a bit before saying "Oh, I doubt that she feels that way towards me at all, I mean -"</p>
<p>This time, Emma interrupted him sharply, "Wait! So you're just assuming she doesn't like you?"</p>
<p>"Oh no! I mean, I know she doesn't dislike me… I mean, I know we're friends, you know? And I, uh."</p>
<p>She sighed, shaking her head sadly and turning to Siegfried once more "So you let your younger brother and his girl part without letting them talk about their feelings?"</p>
<p>He shrugged, and she detected a bit of sadness in them "By the time they had met" he said "I was already gone, and when we reunited, SHE was already gone."</p>
<p>She hummed in thought for a bit before looking at the younger man "Now look here Sieg," she stated sternly. "Next time you meet this friend of yours, I expect you to ask her out or something! You're a very handsome boy, and I'm sure that any lady would consider themselves blessed to go out with you!" Maybe she was being too pushy with the poor boy, but she had gone through enough of this kind of drama when she was raising her own boys.</p>
<p>"B-but, I mean, I-I don't even know where she is right now!" Sieg protested</p>
<p>She shrugged, "That's why I said 'next time you meet'" she said calmly, "You'll never know how she really feels if you never talk to her about it, and if you wait too long you'll miss your chance!"</p>
<p>Before Sieg could protest anymore, Siegfried placed his hand on Sieg's shoulder interrupted him, "I'll make sure he does so ma'am" he said with a smile.</p>
<p>"Good" she said with a sniff "See that you do"</p>
<p>And with that the three of them finished their breakfast - though Sieg's face remained red throughout the entire meal.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Siegfried - Saber</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>The Selfless Hero</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sieg - Caster</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>Hero of the Homunculi</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Girl Talk</strong>
</p>
<p>Civilians walking past the outdoor cafe during their morning routine paused when they heard the laughter of two women. Looking towards the cafe, they would see four beautiful women in a booth - two of them laughing at something that was said, while the other two were blushing and looking away.</p>
<p>Most patrons of the cafe could recognize Coco Adele, a Huntsman in training that frequently went to that cafe with her partner, Velvet. The other two women that were with them were strangers however.</p>
<p>Both were stunningly beautiful - One was brunette and the other was blonde. The brunette was tall, her bangs were braided around her head in the fashion of a wreath as the rest of her hair flowed past her shoulders. Her clear blue eyes sparked with mischief.</p>
<p>The blonde was shorter, and instead of a dress she wore a type of armored dress that was silver and blue in color. Her hair was only shoulder length, and her eyes were shining amethyst in color. Currently, her face was slightly flushed from the topic at the table.</p>
<p>Coco caught her breath and smirked at the other laughing woman "So let me get this straight," she said with a snicker "Your entire settlement thought that this other woman was a man, and due to politics the two of you married?"</p>
<p>The other woman calmed down at the question, though her eyes were still filled with mirth, "Well," she said with a smile, "There was a bit more to it, but those are the important details."</p>
<p>"Dang," Coco leaned back in her chair and lifted her sunglasses up to look at the other lady "So," her smirk came back, "If you were married to each other, then do you two ever get it on with each other?"</p>
<p>"C-Coco!" Velvet yelped, her face burning red, and the fourth woman's face became flushed at the question as well.</p>
<p>"What? They were married, so it's only natural, right?" Coco replied, her innocent demeanor ruined by the mischief in her eyes.</p>
<p>The woman that the question was addressed to wasn't fazed at all by it, "No, we did not" she said with a smile, "Everybody assumed we did, but to be honest, Arturia was like a sister to me." Her smile then turned melancholic, "She was my best friend" she said sadly "But then, I fell in love with somebody, and the two of us started meeting in secret. Everybody else found out, and the whole thing became one big mess..." she shook her head and looked at the rest of them apologetically "I apologize, but I don't feel comfortable sharing the details."</p>
<p>Velvet immediately jumped in, "O-oh no! Don't worry about it, p-please don't feel as if we're being pushy," she reassured.</p>
<p>Coco snorted, "Yeah, like BunBun said, don't worry about it Guin. We're not asking for your whole life story."</p>
<p>As Guinever smiled at them gratefully Coco turned her attention towards the fourth member of their group. "So what about you Jeanne?"</p>
<p>Jeanne jumped a little in startlement, "Me?" She questioned.</p>
<p>"Sure, Guin already talked about her romance history" Coco said while pointing at Guinevere "People are too scared to ask me out" she said while gesturing towards herself, "And people are too narrow minded to see how cute BunBun is," and she ignored Velvet's noise of protest. "So now it's your turn." She concluded with a victorious smile.</p>
<p>Jeanne looked confused at the reasoning, but decided to answer anyways "Well, I never had time to date" she said calmly "I mostly spent my time training myself and helping others as best as I could."</p>
<p>Guinevere looked at her with a teasing smile, "You remind me a lot of my husband," She said with a small laugh, "But do you mean to tell me that you've never had a crush on anybody?" After saying this, Jeanne's cheeks gained a bit of red, and Coco pounced on that, "So you HAVE seen somebody that you like!"</p>
<p>"Well, by that logic, you two must have some people that you've fancied, right?" She protested, looking at Coco and Velvet.</p>
<p>Coco shrugged dismissively, "Maybe, but I asked you first, so spill."</p>
<p>She blushed lightly, "Well," she said shyly "there is somebody that I fought with for a while. His name is Sieg. At first he was in need of help, which I provided, and he was pretty bad at… Well, everything" she said with a smile "But he never let that stop him, and he was an incredibly fast learner. He was actually crucial in helping me with my last battle. Unfortunately, we were forced to… um, part ways before we could talk" she said in a sad voice. "But" she said while her whole face brightened, "I have faith that I will meet him again, Lord willing."</p>
<p>"I-I'm sure that you will!" Velvet said encouragingly. She gave a small blush, "I hope that I can find somebody to be with like that as well some day"</p>
<p>"Velvet!" Coco fake gasped, "Are you saying that you want to leave me?"</p>
<p>"Wha - N-no! Of course not Coco!" Velvet protested in a panicked voice, "I'm t-talking about in the future!"</p>
<p>With that the group started laughing again, with Jean and Velvet blushing at the teasing of the other two.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Guinevere - Ruler</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>Queen of Camelot</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Jeanne d'Arc - Ruler</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>The Maiden of Orleans</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Calming the regrets of the past</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I don't deserve this...</em>
</p>
<p>In the wilderness, away from any settlement, a small horde of Grimm was desperately focused on a single person.</p>
<p>
  <em>I deserve death... At the very least, I deserve to be summoned as a Berserker. Such a disgraceful state is more fitting than this.</em>
</p>
<p>Displaying skills beyond what any of the Grimm had seen before, he cut them down. Clad in armor the color of royal violet, he moved with surprising grace through the horde.</p>
<p>
  <em>It was my fault, surely I deserve to be punished for my sins.</em>
</p>
<p>Slowly the Grimm were becoming more panicked as their numbers dwindled. His armor resisted the claws of Beowolves, and Ursai died before they could get a swipe in. Boarbatusks were sidestepped and had their feet cut out from under them, and the lone Death Stalker that had joined them soon found itself declawed.</p>
<p>
  <em>Perhaps... This is my punishment? To be summoned to this land, forced to fight these abominations?</em>
</p>
<p>His style kept alternating between patient and concise to agitated and brutal. His skill unparalleled in both styles, it was impossible to anticipate when he would change.</p>
<p>
  <em>His King... The person he respected above all else... She had stood strong against all opponents, against all adversity... He, as one of her knights, should have been there to support her. And yet he was the one responsible for her downfall... Responsible for the downfall of Camelot.</em>
</p>
<p>The Grimm could smell his sweat, could hear his panting. All signs pointed towards him getting tired, and yet his sword never wavered, his gaze never wandered.</p>
<p>
  <em>Perhaps... Perhaps if he killed these Grimm, it would chip away his debt. Since he had doomed Camelot, maybe if he helped save this land, he would once again be worthy to see his King once more.</em>
</p>
<p>Something changed in the knight, and the Grimm tensed. While his attacks had no doubt been deadly before, they had simultaneously felt empty. Now though, his stance had a purpose to it. The emotions of guilt and torment the knight had been feeling calmed, while the feelings of panic that the Grimm had been feeling increased.</p>
<p>
  <em>If this is true, then this is a task that I must give my all. I failed in my duty once, I shall not do so again!</em>
</p>
<p>The knight raised his head and looked at what remained of the horde. Unable to see beneath the helmet, they missed the grin he bore.</p>
<p>"On my word as a Knight of the Round Table" he intoned, "I, Sir Lancelot du Lac, swear that none of you shall make it past me."</p>
<p>A short while later, the knight walked away from the piles of decaying corpses, making way for the nearest village.</p>
<p>His guilt remained, and he doubted it would ever leave, but with a task and a duty to focus on he was able to think past it.</p>
<p>Where he failed his oaths before, he would fulfill them now. As recompense for his crimes and to absolve his guilt, however slightly.</p>
<p>Back straightened and steps filled with purpose once more, the Peerless Knight chose his path.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lancelot - Saber</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>Knight of the Lake</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Authors Note:</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>I'd like to congratulate "SynPyre" for guessing Lancelot for this chapter :) I realize my clues are far from the best, and that makes it difficult at times to make a guess. Thanks for playing along!</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>By dog, you must be joking!</strong>
</p>
<p>Whitley Schnee ground his teeth in annoyance at what was happening in front of him. Normally he was quite in control of his emotions, yet today was quickly proving to be rather taxing on his willpower.</p>
<p>And it didn't look like it would be getting any better anytime soon...</p>
<p>His day had started normally enough. Breakfast had been superb as usual, he had gone to his usual classes that morning, and while they had been a trifle dull he could hardly fault the teachers for needing to go a bit slower for the plebeians that were taking the class. He was an understanding person.</p>
<p>It was after all of that, as he and a few friends were coming back from their lunch, that his day started going poorly.</p>
<p>First, as they were making their way back, a clumsy faunus had apparently been in a hurry, and tried to shove his way past them. Disgusted at the animal's touch, he quickly shoved it away from himself, causing it to trip and fall, the items it was carrying went flying. He sneered at the creature, "Much better. Please, do try to remember your place, you repulsive animal". Lowering his voice in the end so that his voice wouldn't carry and saying this while posed with all of the dignity he could muster, he could hear his friends snicker behind him at the creature's misfortune.</p>
<p>Just as he was about to continue walking, he heard "Hmmm, and by what do you determine him to be repulsive?"</p>
<p>Sighing at having to explain something so elementary, he turned to face the individual, only to have his mind go blank at the sight.</p>
<p>The person standing behind him was the... oddest... person that he had ever seen. Halfway bald with a huge nose, the tall man was very thin, yet had disproportionately large arm muscles. Wearing only a type of robe and belt despite the cold weather, he looked at Whitley with what seemed to be honest curiosity.</p>
<p>Before Whitely could regain his senses enough to educate the beggar, the man continued on "Are you, perhaps, an expert in that which is repulsive?" he asked curiously "Like a soldier would be considered an expert in shooting? Or a painter in the art of painting?"</p>
<p>Whitley was about to speak, but was then interrupted by the beggar again "Or perhaps you have a measure by which repulsiveness or beauty could be determined!" He said excitedly, "Like one would measure the weight of grain, or the number of meters in a distance! If such a thing exists, would you share it with me? Such knowledge would truly be a blessing on the lives of any person" He finished and looked at Whitely with an expectant look in his eye.</p>
<p>Whitley flushed angrily at having been interrupted twice before regaining his composure "Of course I'm not an expert in 'repulsiveness'!" he said with a grimace. "The reasons for my calling him such should be perfectly obvious I would think." he finished with a sniff.</p>
<p>The old man looked at him in silence for a second before giving out a patronizing sigh. "But if you are not, as you just said, such an expert, nor can you provide any such measure, then how is it you can judge this man 'repulsive'?" He pointed out "And if you judge such determination as obvious, then you should be able to provide an explanation as to why you think such a thing." Whitley narrowed his eyes at the patronizing tone, but the man continued without paying any attention to him. "Now then, I would like to offer a proposition, and then we shall see if we agree. If we can, then surely our conversation will become much more enlightening. Is that alright with you?"</p>
<p>Now Whitley was thoroughly confused as to how this came about, and could only say the first thing on his mind "...What?"</p>
<p>"Now then! Would you say that repulsiveness is, mayhap, a deviation of the human body? Such that if one were to have a crooked nose as opposed to that of a straight one? Or if they had crooked teeth instead of straight?"</p>
<p>"I, uh, suppose" Whitley admitted hesitantly, noticing that at this point they had gained a bit of a crowd, and even several faunus had stopped to watch the exchange.</p>
<p>The old man shook his head sadly "By dog, you must be joking with me young sir! The description you state you believe in does not make sense! For if we assume that a deviation of that which is normal is repulsive, than what of how can we measure that which is beautiful? If we can assume that Beauty is the opposite of Repulsive, then by your description the most beautiful person is one who is most normal! Do you believe that you look normal young sir?"</p>
<p>"Of course not!" Whitley stated, horrified at the thought of such a term being applied to a Schnee</p>
<p>"Then by that admission, and through the argument you gave, you must be in some degree 'repulsive', as you are not 'normal', would you not agree?" The look on Whitley's face said that he really didn't agree with that description. "Now, please, stop cruelly teasing an old man such as myself. Could you not indulge me in my old age and take this matter seriously?"</p>
<p>"He's a faunus!" Whitley growled at the old beggar. That should be enough for anybody!"</p>
<p>The look of confusion never left the beggars face. "And how does that increase one's repulsiveness? We've already established that mere deviation from normality cannot measure beauty or repulsiveness, and if one were to be the 'most' normal, then they would disqualify themselves as being normal as well! Until we can determine a true measure of beauty, have we the right to call somebody repulsive or pretty?"</p>
<p>"Wha- I- Yo- I don't have to explain this to you!" Whitley said angrily before turning and stalking away in a huff "C'mon" he snapped at his friends. "We're going to be late for class!" And with that the friends jolted into action and followed.</p>
<p>The crowd remained silent for a few seconds before several people started clapping for the man, who looked rather disappointed. His head snapped to the side however when the faunus that had been tripped came up to him, looking nervous.</p>
<p>"Umm, my name i-is Roy, sir. I j-just wanted t-to say thank you sir," The faunus stuttered "Not many people are willing to defend us like that."</p>
<p>The man hummed thoughtfully, "Thanks are given in gratitude when one makes an effort one doesn't have to in the aid of another." He said with a wave of his hand "I was merely trying to find the conclusion of a debate with that young man! Had we done so, both of us would have been enlightened!" he gave a sigh, "Sadly, the youth of this generation don't seem to appreciate the value of debate. Regardless, that activity is something that I would have sought either way, so I have not made an effort that I would not normally do. Therefore, you need not thank me." he concluded with a smile.</p>
<p>Roy blinked in slight confusion at the explanation before looking at him in bemusement. Taking stock of what the beggar was wearing, he hesitantly spoke up again "If you have nowhere else to go," he said in a nervous tone "You could come by my family's place" he offered. "It's can't be healthy to just wear, ummm, that." he gestured at the outfit.</p>
<p>The old man gave Roy a brighter smile "That, I believe, is something that does need a 'thank you' by Zeus!" he exclaimed, beaming at him. "You have given me your name, so I shall give you mine. I am Socrates of Athens" He gave a deep bow towards Roy. "And I am honored to accept your offer."</p>
<p>
  <strong>Socrates - Caster</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>The Smartest Philosopher</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Author's Note:</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>When Socrates says "By the dog of Egypt", or as I put it, "By dog", he says it in reference to Anubis. He is also known to say "By Zeus". I thought the phrase funny enough I decided to include it as the title.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Existential Crisis</strong>
</p>
<p>Adam opened up the door to their latest hideout in a fury.</p>
<p>That in and of itself wasn't unusual - ever since Blake had told Adam that she wished to take some time off to think about some things, Adam had been more prone to anger. He pushed the men harder, trained them further, and was starting to be more daring on raids. The men still followed him, and were willing to follow him, but they were well aware that they were walking on glass when he was around.</p>
<p>This time however, Adam's fury was completely justified.</p>
<p>Walking back to the hideout after doing some more training for himself, he had heard the shouts of gunfire and shouts. At first, he had assumed they had been found out, and immediately started running to help with the fight. Yet when he got there he saw a large group of White Fang just outside their hideout, aiming their guns in various directions, apparently at nothing. When he rushed up to them, he had demanded what was going on.</p>
<p>Their answer?</p>
<p>The warehouse was haunted.</p>
<p>He slammed the door open, glaring at the first White Fang that he saw, a bat faunus, and grabbed them by their arm.</p>
<p>"What concept of the word "stealth" do you imbeciles not understand?!" he growled viciously at the poor faunus.</p>
<p>"S-sir!" the victim gasped, "Adam! T-there is an intruder in the base! We *ouch!* are trying to find him and eliminate him!"</p>
<p>Adam let him go, but kept up his glare. The Faunus's wings wilted a little under the glare, but stayed standing at attention.</p>
<p>"This morning, just after you left to train, we found an intruder looking through our supplies. A cat faunus. Late 20's. Wore a tweed jacket with a bowtie. Upon questioning what he was doing, he replied and told us that he was bored." The bat faunus gulped, looking more nervous. "Hestler, one of our newer recruits, saw him reach inside his jacket for something and assumed it was a weapon, and fired his gun. Apparently the cat faunus did not have any Aura, and died."</p>
<p>Adam felt the headache coming on, he just knew it.</p>
<p>"After that, we left the store room and assigned somebody else to dispose of the corpse. Except, well," The bat faunus hesitated for a bit before taking the plunge "When we went back into the room, the body was gone."</p>
<p>Adam narrowed his eyes at the poor man, but before he could speak, the other faunus stated "We had only left the body unattended for a full minute, at the most sir. And what's worse is that we saw him again" Adam could now see the fear in the others eyes. "We keep seeing him - walking up various stairs, dodging down corridors. He only leaves our sight for a moment before disappearing completely." A shout was heard upstairs, followed by a couple shots and the thunderous sound of many boots hitting the floor.</p>
<p>Adam closed his eyes and tried to rein in his temper. It wouldn't do for him to start killing members of their own group.</p>
<p>After several seconds, he opened his eyes again and glared at the faunus in front of him. "Get everybody down here immediately" he growled "With all of the racket you are causing, it's only a matter of time till the police shows up. We'll pack up, and if this 'ghost' shows up again, then I'll take care of it personally!"</p>
<p>With that he marched outside to berate the White Fang members out there for their incompetence.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Meanwhile, on the roof, the cat faunus listened to Adam berate the men, chuckling to himself.</p>
<p>He supposed he had tormented this group enough. True, they had caught him in front of an open box... But he couldn't help that he had been summoned inside the box!</p>
<p>Not for the first time that day, he sighed in frustration. Really, after all of his contributions, efforts, and discoveries for the world, THIS is what he was known best for?!</p>
<p>And then to top it off, the box he had been summoned inside of happened to be in some kind of terrorist base. Normally he wasn't a vengeful man, but being shot hurt! At least it provided him a good way to practice his ability. When he was summoned, he was given knowledge of his own abilities, but experience trumps theory.</p>
<p>After listening to Adam order his men around a little more, Erin Schrodinger stood up and teleported out.</p>
<p>
  <em>Time to see what else is new in this world.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Erin Schrödinger - Assassin</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Schrodinger's Cat - A Paradoxical Existence</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Ability: <em>No matter his current state, when not observed by an external force Schrodinger's state of being is uncertain, and he may choose his state. Additionally, while being thus unobserved, he may choose to be in any other unobserved location.</em></strong>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Hounds and Horses</strong>
</p>
<p>Walking through the fields, two figures could be seen walking, the city of Vale seen in the distance behind them.</p>
<p>One had blue hair and was clad in a similar shade of armor, a blood red spear in his hand. Wiry muscles and lean form, he was currently glaring at something his companion had said.</p>
<p>The other man was large and had purple hair, but had forgone armor, simply wearing a pair of pants and boots. This allowed one to see numerous scars on his chest and back, along with his powerful muscles. The weapon he carried in his hands appeared to be a large drill with a sword's hilt.</p>
<p>"So let me get this straight," The drill wielder said with a smirk, "You got a job as a bouncer at a pub, and are working with two hot ladies, and you haven't been with either of them yet?" He shook his head in mock sadness "Come on nephew! I might not be your father, but you should have enough of my blood to get with them!"</p>
<p>Despite the teasing tone in his voice, the look of fondness on his face was obvious for anybody to see. Both carried themselves as experienced warriors, and their stance around each other spoke of a deep trust between them.</p>
<p>The Lancer gave a carefree shrug "It's only been a few days" he said casually, "Since they are nieces of the owner, I thought it best to take things slowly."</p>
<p>"Eh, maybe" the other man said easily "But if you don't make a move soon, I just might have to ask for an introduction to these ladies myself!"</p>
<p>"Heh, we can grab a pint after our test out here" the Lancer said with a smirk "Speaking of which..."</p>
<p>The two of them paused as they looked up at several dark shapes flying high in the air. Both figures contemplated the flying creatures for a moment.</p>
<p>"Huh" the muscular man grunted in a dismissive tone "Big critters, aren't they?" he glanced at the lancer, "So how do you want to do this? I'll admit - you're good lad, but I doubt you have the muscle for THAT kind of throw"</p>
<p>The blue lancer smirked at his companion before extending his spear and scratched runes onto the air. "Perhaps" he allowed as he worked with practiced ease, "but my spear isn't the only thing I learned from my old teacher, is it?"</p>
<p>The drill wielder frowned as he watched his companion create multiple runes. He was well aware of the power of those runes - his own army was held back by those same runes after all - but those Nevermore were pretty high up...</p>
<p>The lancer saw his doubtful expression and gave him a feral grin as he finished the last rune, "Relax old man" He said as the runes caught fire, and then launched themselves at the Grimm "With the right combination of runes, I can sacrifice power for range. My goal isn't to kill them after all..." The fiery runes impacted the Grimm, causing them to let out a huge screech "... We just want to get their attention, right?" he finished, readying his spear as the Grimm started to descend rapidly.</p>
<p>Soon after he said that, multiple roars could be heard from the trees nearby, and several more Grimm came out and charged the two warriors.</p>
<p>Now it was the drill-wielders turn to give a bloodthirsty grin "Well then Hound" he said eagerly, "How about a bet? The one who kills the most of these blighters pays for the first round of drinks, and you introduce me to those women!"</p>
<p>As he spoke, the light around his twisted sword seemed to shimmer, refracting the light into a rainbow of colors.</p>
<p>The blue lancer returned his bloodthirsty grin with one of his own, "Just don't unleash your full power just yet" he cautioned "We don't want to scalp any hills around here"</p>
<p>The drill wielder snorted at that "Please boy" he scoffed "You're still too young to be giving me battle advice. I was commanding armies while you were still learning to walk!"</p>
<p>"Besides" he said, almost as an afterthought "Where's the fun in ending the battle too early?"</p>
<p>And with that, the Grimm reached the two warriors of Ulster, Fergus Mac Roich and Cu Chulainn.</p>
<p>Fergus had to pay for drinks that evening.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Fergus mac Róich - Saber</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>King of Ulster</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Cú Chulainn - Lancer</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>The Hound of Ulster</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Author's Note:</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>I give credit to "The Grimm Blade" for suggesting that I add Cu Chulainn, and I felt the need to add in Fergus Mac Roich as well once I found out that the two were related.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>01010011 01101001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01110010 01110011</strong>
</p>
<p>The snow gently fell across the floating city of Atlas, the white creating a beautiful contrast against the gentle blue color of the towering skyscrapers. Despite it being well known for its military, the city had an ethereal beauty to it.</p>
<p>Walking through the alleys of the spires, nobody noticed two figures walking through the alleys wearing heavy cloaks.</p>
<p>One was a little over five feet in height, and she moved with a ballerina's grace despite the cloak she wore. Beneath her hood, if one had been allowed to see, showed a doll like face with golden eyes and black hair.</p>
<p>The person with her clearly didn't care about grace or subtlety. She wore a cloak, but with her hood down anybody could see her. She was five and a half feet tall, with long pink hair that covered her eyes. In her hands she had a large mace that she wielded with ease.</p>
<p>Both girls were silent as they traveled, though for different reasons.</p>
<p>A group of delinquents that were in the alley saw them and made their way towards them with eager grins on their faces. Said grins abruptly died when they heard the sound of a growl.</p>
<p>The sound stopped them cold, chills running up their spines. It wasn't that it was that loud, and they had heard more menacing if they were being honest. But the feeling that came with this growl was that of a barely leashed dog that was at the end of it's patience. Wisely, they immediately turned and left the alley.</p>
<p>Fran, also known as the Frankenstein Monster, growled once more before huffing in annoyance and continued on. She understood why she was classified as a Berserker, and yet she hated it at the same time. It reminded her too much of how she was when she was first created.</p>
<p>Back then, her mind had been brand new - she had no experiences to draw on, of course she appeared nothing more than an animal to her creator. An Abomination. In time though, she grew, and as she grew, she learned. However, despite her increased intelligence, all that her creator saw was the animal that she once was.</p>
<p>She was actually quite intelligent, even as a Berserker. But while the Madness Enhancement didn't decrease her intellect, it decreased her linguistic ability severely. Though she might want to express complete thoughts, and could think them with clarity, all she could manage was gestures, growls, or grunts. If she really put effort into it, she could manage a word or two.</p>
<p>To have that barrier that prevented herself from speaking the thoughts in her mind frustrated her more than anything. Add in she was stuck in a strange city with no clear goal? She was a little sorry that those punks left. She would have loved the opportunity to relieve some of her anxiety.</p>
<p>She turned and looked at her companion, grateful that she at least had a companion. Even if that companion didn't know what to do either, it was better than nothing.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Externally, the synthetic unit known as Katou Danzo was the picture of grace and composure, her face never shifting as she kept her eyes open for danger. Internally however, she was feeling a sense of both overwhelming wonder and utter confusion.</p>
<p>It was a rather odd feeling she decided.</p>
<p>In… 'life', she was simply a wooden mechanical doll, created for the sole purpose of carrying out the orders inputted into her by her owner. A robot, so to speak.</p>
<p>However, that wasn't exactly accurate anymore. Apparently she had made a name for herself while carrying out those orders, and her legend grew. While most shinobi relied solely on stealth, her creator and masters used her as more of a visible tool, which helped further her fame. Her fame became great enough that the Daimyo himself desired to test her, and challenged her to steal the prized naginata of one of his retainers.</p>
<p>With no risk to themselves, of course her master accepted and sent her. It was this act which gave her the weapon she now carries - Naoe Kanetsugu. Unfortunately, it was this act that made the Daimyo fear her, which eventually led to her destruction.</p>
<p>She didn't mind. How could she? At the time, she was simply non-sentient tool. A very complex screwdriver, so to speak.</p>
<p>Those actions had the result of having the legend of Katō Danzo carved in the Throne of Heroes. And her legend didn't say anything about her being a mindless doll.</p>
<p>This left her in a unique position - Her body was the same as it was, with a carved body and synthetic limbs. But the Throne had gifted her with the sentience that the legends believed Kato Danzo had.</p>
<p>She knew of her abilities, and knew of the legend that she herself left, but now she could FEEL. She could EXPERIENCE. The sensations were so new and strange… And quite frankly, she wasn't sure how to deal with all of the new sensations, so she pushed it down as best as she could and proceeded as she normally would.</p>
<p>That, though, led to another issue... She lacked the parameters that she would normally guide her. She had no Master, nor any mission, so no commands to be inputted. Normally, this would lead to her going into a standby mode… But even then, her programming specified she was to go to one of the safe houses before going into standby mode. In this unknown city, that was fairly difficult to do.</p>
<p>This left her with following the Servant that had been summoned with her. Looking at Fran, she felt the unfamiliar feeling of gratitude fill her. She knew of Fran's legend - she had gone through the process of gaining sentience. Once they were in a safe location, she would talk to her and hopefully learn from her.</p>
<p>As the two of them walked walked out of the alley, Kato suddenly stepped back. Fran looked at her in confusion for a second, when something slammed into her at full speed. Barely shifting her stance, she quickly looked at what hit her and saw a smiling face looking back at her.</p>
<p>"Salutations!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>In the world, there are certain concepts, certain titles, that give a person power.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>An example of such would be that of a leader. A man could be the wisest of men, but if he is but a beggar, who would pay him any mind? But make that man a king, and his words are heard by all.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Another such concept is to be the best in your field. To be known as the best musician, the best artist, the best soldier. Those with these titles gain power and recognition, and people will pause and take notice of this.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Yet another is the concept of being the first. To be the first at something, whether it's impressive or not. People remember that Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon, but the second man on the moon is often forgotten. King Hassan is the first of the Hassan's, and thus his power is unrivaled amongst the Hassan's.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>There is a similar power in being the only one of your kind.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Fran was created using a patchwork of lifeless flesh and lightning. Through methods long forgotten, life was created, and a new soul was formed.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Kato was created using a mixture of mechanics and magic. A doll, a kunoichi, and a robot. Though not by her own choice, she left a legend after her passing, and was granted a soul by the Throne.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>And then there is Penny Polendina. Created by by a brilliant scientist. An advanced robot who has gained sentience and a soul through the generation of Aura.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Each was the first of their kind. Each an 'artificial' human, created through different means.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Each is also the only one of their kinds.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>With that in mind... how could there not be bond?</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>Penny looked at the person she had run into with a bright smile. Was it rude to slam into people like that? There was a high probability that it was rude… But the girl didn't jump away, and she didn't look like it bothered her, so she was probably good.</p>
<p>She felt a little bad about running into this person, but she was just sooo excited! This was the first time her father had allowed her to go outside the lab and into the city to make friends! She had never had a friend before… Both the scientists that her father worked with and Uncle Ironwood's men were too busy for that, and they kept on forgetting their appointments! The last several times she had asked they suddenly remembered their other meetings that they had.</p>
<p>She felt bad that they kept forgetting stuff like that, so she gifted everybody with calendars so they could remember stuff better.</p>
<p>It hadn't worked yet, but she'd keep trying! But until that happened, she decided she would make friends with people in the city! And that's what led her into this situation. Was this what the phrase "running into friends" meant?</p>
<p>It was strange though… She had no memory of these people in her databanks, and yet once she saw them, she felt… Comforted? Warm? It was sort-of like what she felt with father. Maybe it was a friends thing? Did that mean that these people would make good friends?</p>
<p>She wasn't exactly sure what the process was to make a friend, but how hard could it be?</p>
<p>She looked at the two people in front of her and kept up her smile, "Salutations!" She greeted cheerfully, "My name is Penny! I am a totally normal human with nothing weird about me. Would you like to be friends?" She finished brightly, looking at them expectantly.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Fran - Berserker</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>Frankenstein's Monster</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Kato Danzo - Assassin</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>Flying Katou</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Authors Note:</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>I think everybody knew that Fran would meet with Penny at some point. However, I have to give credit to "snoogenz" for Kato Danzo. He had guessed that she would appear in the last chapter, and even if that wasn't the case it got my attention, and I thought that she would be a great addition to this part.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Help! I'm being oppressed!</strong>
</p>
<p>No matter where you are at, a prison is never a cheerful place to be. Even in Atlas, as advanced as they were, they were unable to prevent the gloom that pervades a prison.</p>
<p>General Ironwood stood in front of one cell, glaring at a prisoner that they had recently arrested. Said prisoner was unconscious - they had been forced to rely on sleeping gas in order to knock him out. Unfortunately, it wasn't before he had caused... Problems.</p>
<p>"Report" Ironwood stated when a soldier came up to him "What are the current casualties?"</p>
<p>The poor soldier gulped in fear at the sight of the prisoner, but complied with the order "Still being determined I'm afraid" he said nervously "We still have a lot of wounded that are in critical condition that we're taking care of. Doctors are sure that they'll be able to save most of them but..." he hesitated, and the General grunted in understanding.</p>
<p>"In addition" the soldier continued "We are working hard at digging out the miners. Several of the attacks from the prisoner caused structural damage, which collapsed most of the mines. Once again, we're working hard at getting them out, and Specialist Schnee is personally overseeing the efforts."</p>
<p>The General nodded once more at the soldier, and then went back to observing the prisoner.</p>
<p>What a mess he thought to himself, feeling a dark gloom settle over him as he thought of the families that he would have to talk to. It was not easy, but he always tried to visit the families of the deceased personally. These soldiers had trusted him with their lives, and because of that they were dead. Informing their families was the least he could do.</p>
<p>Of course, this incident was hardly something that could have been predicted.</p>
<p>They had received an emergency call requesting backup at one of the SDC Dust Mines. They had expected the White Fang, and had immediately sent reinforcements. When they got there, instead of a terrorist force assaulting the mine from the outside, they saw that their forces were under attack by a giant of a man who was coming from the inside of the mine.</p>
<p>Over two meters tall, covered in muscle and scars. He ripped through the Atlesian robots with contemptuous ease, and had not been slowed down in the slightest when he started going through the human portion of the military. Had it not been for Aura, the General was positive none of the men would have been able to survive. And what was worse was that the giant was smiling through the entire thing, laughing at them.</p>
<p>Never seeming to get tired, if Specialist Schnee hadn't been on hand to help incapacitate him he very well might have killed everyone there. Once he was incapacitated, they were able to get some sleeping gas to knock him out. While it took an exorbitant amount to do so, it was preferable than having Specialist Schnee forcibly restrain him for hours on end.</p>
<p>Ironwood figured he must be working with the White Fang in some capacity. During the entire fight, he had declared the soldiers to be oppressors, and that they would be destroyed. However, the problem with that theory was that this giant appeared to be completely human, and he wasn't sure if the White Fang would be willing to work with humans, even a human of this strength.</p>
<p>Another problem he had with that theory was that while the giant appeared to be fighting for the miners, his own attacks while in the mines had been devastating enough that a lot of the miners had been caught up in cave-ins. While he doubted that it had been done on purpose, that hardly mattered to the results.</p>
<p>The soldier spoke up again in a quiet voice "Our scientists are still analyzing the chains he was wearing, and the sword he used" he reported, "It appears to have been hand forged years ago."</p>
<p>"And what of his Aura?" Ironwood asked</p>
<p>A shake of the head. "Still no sign of it" he said "By all appearances, he accomplished all of that simply with his own strength," he said in a disbelieving tone.</p>
<p>Inwardly, the General shared that disbelief. For one man to do this much damage without Aura... The thought was staggering. "Tell the science division to keep working on it." he ordered "I want to know the source of his strength. We might even risk waking him up and asking him personally"</p>
<p>The soldier looked at him worriedly "A-are you sure about that sir?" he said, his voice trembling "After what he did?"</p>
<p>Eyes narrowed in anger, Ironwood glared through the bars once more "It will be done only as a last resort," he said in a hard voice "But the fact that he had a ridiculous amount of power cannot be denied. If we can't figure out how he became this strong, then taking the risk to wake him up to question him would be worth it."</p>
<p>The soldier nodded, agreeing with the General. A little while later, the two of them marched out of the jail. There was still the matter of sending backup to the mines to help save as many workers as they could, as well as ensuring as many of the wounded lived as possible.</p>
<p>As they left, they missed when the giant, despite being asleep, tensed all of his muscles, causing his restraints to groan. Underneath the apparatus giving him the sleeping gas, the giant grinned.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Spartacus - Berserker</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>Hero of the Oppressed</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Introductions</strong>
</p>
<p>[... And that is the latest news regarding the incident at the Dustspire Mines that happened just the other day. General Ironwood has given a statement saying that due to this incident, the military is planning on increasing the number of mechanized forces within the military. Additionally, they have revealed that they are unveiling their latest invention much sooner than planned - The Atlesian Paladin-290! Here we are given a rough description of what -]</p>
<p>"WHAT!"</p>
<p>Everybody at the diner turned away from the news report to look at the person who had shrieked in rage.</p>
<p>The person was short, and had waist length pink hair that was tied in a braid. The armor she had on was black with red and white highlights, and many men blushed at the sight of the pretty girl.</p>
<p>Of course, said pretty 'girl' was currently glaring at the screen, and was being held back by a girl with red-orange hair that was held by four pigtails. She had a light blue tank top, as well as a pink mini-skirt. At her side, she had a pair of red roller blades.</p>
<p>"C'mon Astolfo!" the girl grunted, dragging the pink haired person outside, "Don't make a scene!"</p>
<p>"But Neon!" Astolfo cried out while glaring at the TV still, "How can they call that lifeless hunk a Paladin?! They're taking my title!"</p>
<p>Neon Katt sighed, relaxing once they got outside and Astolfo stopped struggling, "Well, it's not like you have a monopoly on the name, ya know?" she said lightly, "And without, like, being a Huntsman? You can't really say you have more of a claim on it than they do, right?"</p>
<p>Astolfo huffed and gave her an indignant look, "Of course I can" she said stubbornly, "I was given it first!"</p>
<p>Neon sighed and started putting on her roller blades. "Relax, nobody is going to care about a name. No reason to blow a gasket over it."</p>
<p>"..."</p>
<p>"Yo, what was that? I didn't catch it."</p>
<p>Astolfo huffed, "Why do THEY get to have an introduction?! I haven't been able to finish an introduction for myself in sooo long!"</p>
<p>Neon blinked, and then looked at Astolfo in bewilderment, "You're upset because they, like, got an introduction?" she asked incredulously.</p>
<p>Astolfo crossed his arms and looked the other way, "You get interrupted every time you try to introduce yourself, and THEN see how you feel," he said while pouting.</p>
<p>Neon looked at Astolfo blankly for a bit before dissolving in laughter, with Astolfo joining in reluctantly as well.</p>
<p>"I've said it before, but I'll say it again" Neon said after she regained her composure, "You can always find a way to make me laugh!" She straightened up with her roller blades on. "Now c'mon girl, I know what would make you feel better. My gal Viola is hosting a wicked party later tonight, and I just know you two will hit it off" She then smirked, braced herself, and sped away, "Last one there buys the other lunch!"</p>
<p>Astolfo froze for a second after hearing the 'girl' comment and was about to say something, but once he heard the last part he completely forgot about it and grabbed the skateboard she had given him and chased after her. "Wait! That's not fair Neon! I can't afford to buy both of us lunch! NEON! GET BACK HERE!"</p>
<p>Astolfo was grateful that his riding skill extended to skateboards. There was no way he was going to get stuck with that kind of deal!</p>
<p>
  <strong>Astolfo - Rider</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>Knight of Evaporated Sanity</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Author's Note:</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>I give credit to "Valkoor123113" for suggesting that I add Astolfo and pair him with Neon Katt.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Are you sure this isn't a singularity?</strong>
</p>
<p>Two men sat at a table within a library. One had long, bright orange hair that was tied into a ponytail behind him and could be described as 'fluffy'. He was currently digging into one of the books from the small pile that he had collected throughout the library, talking to his companion in what some observers would recognize as the 'lecturers' tone.</p>
<p>The other man was of average build and medium height, with short unkempt black hair. Although he had a book in front of himself as well, he appeared to be fighting a losing battle with paying attention to what the other guy was saying.</p>
<p>"... Therefore, that is why we can be sure that we are currently not in a singularity" the orange haired man concluded with a smile while looking at the black haired man. "Do you have any questions about any of that Ritsu?"</p>
<p>Ritsu jolted back to attention and looked at the other man with a blank smile, "Umm, no, I don't think so..." he said carefully, and winced when the other gave a sigh in exasperation. "Sorry Roman," Ritsu said apologetically, "Could you give me the shorthand version?"</p>
<p>Roman gave him a tired look before shaking his head, "This isn't a singularity, and we don't appear to be on what we know of as Earth. How's that?"</p>
<p>"But how did we get here?" Ritsu asked with an air of frustration, "And why us?"</p>
<p>Roman shrugged helplessly, "Who knows? According to both of us, we both remember going to our beds last night, and now we're here. If I had to go out on a limb, I'd say that it was some kind of summoning." He brow scrunched in thought for a second, "But I'm not sure WHY the two of us would be summoned, nor who would have the strength to summon us to another world!"</p>
<p>Ritsu fidgeted for a bit before asking "So do you think we were the only ones summoned?"</p>
<p>The other man looked at him knowingly, "You're wondering if Mash was summoned as well?"</p>
<p>"Well, yeah" Ritsu said with a small blush. "She's been with for all of the other crazy stuff that has happened lately, and it would make much more sense for HER to be summoned than us. I mean, not that you're not super useful!" He said quickly "But you're more useful in Chaldea, you know?"</p>
<p>Roman laughed a bit nervously at that, "Y-yeah, she'd clearly be the better choice. And I thought of that!" He said, quickly changing the subject, "That's why we're here at the library," he said with a grin.</p>
<p>The grin faded a little bit at Ritsu's blank look and he gave another sigh, "When you're in a strange place, the first thing you want to do is learn more about that place" he explained "If Mash was summoned, then it would only be logical for her to come to the library to learn more about the world!"</p>
<p>"Ah, that makes sense!" Ritsu said happily, relaxing for the first time that day. "So we just need to keep watch from here and we should see her," he said with a grin.</p>
<p>Knowing that, Ritsu felt much better. After everything that they had been through together, it wouldn't have felt right to have to do something like this without Mash. With her by his side, he was sure they could handle anything that was thrown at them.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>Several streets from the library</em>
</p>
<p>"Ummm, Da Vinci-chan?" Mash said cautiously, "Why are we going to the museum? Shouldn't we be searching for Sempai?"</p>
<p>Leonardo da Vinci didn't respond at first, opting instead to gaze at the architecture of the extravagant museum with sparkles in her eyes. Eventually she shook herself out of it and turned to Mash with a smile, "Of course we're going to look for our dear Master! But it's a large city, and if he is here he is undoubtedly looking for us. Therefore, we should stick to a place where he would expect us to be. Like here!"</p>
<p>"But, what if he doesn't know that we were summoned as well?" Mash asked, fidgeting as the people around them stared at both of their outfits, wishing not for the first time that her armor concealed more.</p>
<p>Da Vinci gave a lighthearted shrug, her smile never diminishing "Then we still need to learn more about the city!" She exclaimed, "It wouldn't do for us to wander around aimlessly. And if our Master isn't here, knowing more about the world will still be a worthwhile venture!"</p>
<p>Mash stared at her for a few seconds, and Da Vinci eventually sighed, "Yes, I know, the odds are HIGHLY unlikely that he's not here." She admitted, "But my point still stands."</p>
<p>Mash eventually relented, and they started walking up the stairs of the museum. "But, Da Vinci-Chan" Mash hesitantly said, "Are you sure that the museum is the best place to learn about the city? Or do you just want to see the paintings here?"</p>
<p>Leonardo gasped, placing her hand over her mouth in shock, "Why Mash, how could you think such a thing?" She asked in mock surprise, her hand hiding a small smirk, "That's simply a side benefit!"</p>
<p>She then skipped over to the front desk, smiling brilliantly at one of the men in uniforms. "Hello there! It's nice to meet you!" She said brightly, dazzling the poor man. "My friend and I are new to the city, and we were hoping to get a tour of this wonderful place. Is that something that you could do for us?" She asked him while batting her eyes at him, "We have soo many questions!"</p>
<p>The man blushed lightly before straightening his back and puffing out his chest, "Of course, I would be honored to give both of you lovely ladies a tour of the building, and I can answer any questions that you might have" He said proudly.</p>
<p>Da Vinci cheered and turned to Mash with another smile "You see Mash? I told you that he could answer our questions!" She then turned out the man and gestured him forward "Lead the way good sir!"</p>
<p>
  <strong>Ritsuka Fujimaru</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>Last Master of Chaldea</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Romani Archaman</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>Former King of Magic</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Mash Kyielight - Shielder</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>The first Demi-Servant</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Leonardo da Vinci - Caster</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>The Universal Genius</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Author's Note:</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <strong>Several people asked me about adding Mash into the story. And I couldn't write a story with Mash in it without writing Ritsu as well.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Complete Author's Notes:<br/>Soooo, I might have gone overboard with this chapter… Some sections came easier than others, but I think most of them turned out well enough. I tried really hard to make sure that I characterized each person correctly when I wrote them.</p>
<p>I'd like to thank everybody who gave chapter suggestions - there were many that did not get chosen, and I apologize, but I can only write so much. I will say that new servants will continue to pop up in the future, just not nearly as frequently. For example, a lot of people gave recommendations for Sun Wukong, and I feel bad for not having something written for him just yet. However, I do have an idea for a future chapter, so that's something to look forward to.</p>
<p>Please let me know your opinions regarding the various Heroes. If a Hero is well liked, then I will be more likely to write another chapter for them in the future, so your input will be important. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Councils</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>In Beacon</em>
</p><p>"Now, that should cover all of the routine business ladies and gentlemen." The Headmaster said, leaning on his desk with his fingers interlocked.</p><p>They were in the Headmaster's office. Seated firmly behind the large desk was Headmaster Ozpin, his standard cup of coffee half empty in front of him. To his right stood Glynda Goodwich, one of his most trusted confidants, and to his left sat Professor Port and Professor Oobleck. Several screens had been brought in and were facing them, showing several other people of equal import.</p><p>General James Ironwood, Headmaster of Atlas.</p><p>Leonardo Lionheart, Headmaster of Haven.</p><p>Professor Theodore, Headmaster of Shade.</p><p>"With the usual business out of the way," Ozpin continued, "Has anybody noticed anything... odd occurring in their respective Kingdoms? He looked at the other Headmasters with an eyebrow raised. "Over the last several weeks there have been several… incidents, within Vale that are cause for concern," he admitted reluctantly. "The first that should be mentioned is an attack on Amber, the current Fall Maiden."</p><p>The other Headmasters immediately showed their alarm, the air filled with raised voices as they demanded to know more, becoming quiet only when Ozpin raised his hand.</p><p>Undeterred, General Ironwood spoke in the silence, "You say 'current'?" he asked, direct and to the point. "So I assume she managed to beat back her assailants?"</p><p>"She is... alright now," Ozpin stated vaguely, taking a quick sip of his coffee. "She was saved by an unknown third party before she was found by Qrow. She has been recovering in the infirmary for a week now, and she has been coming in and out of consciousness, but it appears that she will make a full recovery."</p><p>The General visibly relaxed, and it wasn't hard to understand why. For a Maiden to be lost, a person of incredible power and key to one of the Relics… Such a thing would have been devastating.</p><p>"And we have no information on who the guilty party was?" Demanded Professor Lionheart, looking nervous. "That is, for somebody to be bold enough to attack a Maiden, and for her to be wounded to the point that she's been bedridden… Are we sure that they left unsatisfied?"</p><p>"Excellent questions." Ozpin acknowledged calmly, "As soon as I have those answers, I shall inform you immediately."</p><p>The others looked at him incredulously, but before they could say anything Ozpin sighed and lifted up his hand. "As I have said, Amber has been unconscious for the most part, and has been unable to tell us anything beyond the roughest of descriptions of her attackers." He responded easily. "Once she feels well enough we will have portraits drawn up of them, and I will send them out to you once they have been finished. Anything further will have to wait until Amber feels better."</p><p>While it was clear that they were unhappy with that, all of them still calmed down.</p><p>"On a lesser note, we have encountered another mystery. On the outskirts of Vale we have found some interesting statuary, which Professor Oobleck has been investigating." Ozpin nodded to Oobleck, who jumped up and took the lead.</p><p>"Yes! Numerous statues of Grimm were found just south of Vale, in various positions of attack and fleeing. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the <em>insides</em> of the Grimm were also exquisitely crafted! This led us to believe that the statues used to be Grimm, and were turned into stone through one method or another."</p><p>Oobleck typed some commands on his Scroll and sent the relevant data to each of the Headmasters. "Upon further investigation it appears that while the method of petrification was extremely quick, the point of origin was quite clearly the optic nerves."</p><p>Professor Theodore raised an eyebrow at that, "They <em>saw </em>something that turned them to stone?" He asked incredulously.</p><p>"Yes!" Oobleck stated with excitement, "This can be observed through the pictures I just sent. In diagrams E1, E7, and O2, one can see that as the body turned into stone, however fast it was, it was not instantaneous. Until the petrification reached the heart, one can see the minute blood clotting and buildup before turning to stone itself. Following this, one can determine that the eyes were the original starting point."</p><p>Lionheart looked at the report nervously, "So, what? Is this a new weapon of sorts?"</p><p>All eyes turned to Ironwood, who returned their questioning glances with an irritated glare, "No," he huffed, "Atlas has not been researching ways to turn Grimm into statues. Honestly, I'm not even sure where we'd start for that sort of thing!"</p><p>"Quite!" Oobleck stated eagerly, "The current theory is that this is the result of somebody's Semblance."</p><p>"That's quite the Semblance… I wonder if it's limited to just Grimm." Theodore mused before looking at Ozpin, "Has there been any further incidents of this happening?"</p><p>Ozpin shook his head, "I'm afraid not, though we have been keeping an eye out."</p><p>Silence reigned for a little as they looked through Oobleck's report, before Ozpin gained everybody's attention once more. "With that in mind, has anything else of note occurred in anybody else's area?" He asked.</p><p>Ironwood sighed heavily, "I'm sure that everybody has heard what happened at Dustspire Mines earlier this week," He stated grimly. "The truth is that all of the damage was caused by one madman. No ID, and the Faunus of the mines all state that he appeared out of nowhere. The real kicker though?" He grimaced, "He did it all without the aid of Aura."</p><p>That news was met with silence as everybody processed that shocking news, several people gaping at the General.</p><p>"W-what?!" Theodore gasped, voicing everybody's thoughts. "But the news stated that there were numerous casualties -"</p><p>"There were!" Ironwood grit out, hands clenched. "We have no idea how it is possible, but it happened. I have my best men conducting investigations as we speak."</p><p>"Hmmm" Ozpin hummed thoughtfully, gazing intently into his coffee before looking at the General again. "What about weapons? Armor?" He prompted. While he enjoyed taunting the General, it was obvious that the deaths of his men hit him hard.</p><p>The General took a deep breath, "Both weapons and armor were old, but had no other defining features. Nothing special whatsoever." He reported. "As I said, investigations are still ongoing as to his identity and to the source of his power."</p><p>Ozpin nodded slowly before looking at Lionheart and Theodore. "What about you two?" He prompted.</p><p>Theodore shook his head, "No, nothing near the scope of what you two mentioned." He paused, "Although there have been warnings of increased Grimm activity on the North shores. Numerous ships have been wiped out without a trace." He paused again as he thought for a bit before smiling, "The only other thing that has occurred that is of note is actually some good news. A couple of men, a faunus and human duo, have started up a new business here in Vacuo, taking residence in the town nearest to Shade and requesting a loan to start their endeavor. Their stated goal is to provide an alternative means of energy beyond Dust."</p><p>Ozpin perked up in interest, while Ironwood snorted dismissively, "That's been attempted before, and the results have always been dismal."</p><p>"Perhaps, but their audition proved rather... interesting, in my opinion." Theodore said with a small smile. "While it might not ever replace Dust completely, it would certainly be nice for non-military ventures to have a non-dust option."</p><p>"I agree," Ozpin said with an interested look in his eye, "It bears watching I think."</p><p>Theodore gave Ironwood a look, before turning back to Ozpin, "The name of their company is 'American Industries'" he said, "I'm… Unsure as to the background of the name, but it appeared to have quite a bit of meaning to one of the gentlemen." He snickered slightly, "So long as the two can actually work together and stop arguing, I am actually looking forward to what they might come up with."</p><p>"Thank you Theodore," Ozpin stated, while Ironwood continued to look unconvinced. "What about you Leo?" He asked, turning to the lion Faunus.</p><p>Lionheart only shook his head, "I'm afraid that the only occurrence that might be considered odd has been reported has been the actions of the Grimm themselves." He reported. "Students out on missions have reported seeing less and less Grimm in the field, and a few villages report that numerous Grimm have looked like they were fleeing something,"</p><p>"I see…" Ozpin muttered, looking lost in thought for a second before looking back up at everybody assembled. "If that is all, then I'd like to thank everybody for their reports. Please keep watch for anything else that might happen in your areas, and let the rest of us know if you require any assistance."</p><p>And with that the people on the screens disconnected, leaving just the physical people in the office.</p><p>Glynda quickly stood up, "Before everybody here leaves, I have a few announcements to make for the staff."</p><p>Seeing that she had everybody's attention, she continued, "I would like to announce that I am adopting a child, and will be spending some of my time with them." She stated calmly, ignoring the shocked looks she received. "Because of this, I will have less time to deal with things that are outside the scope of my job description…" looking pointedly at the Headmaster, "Therefore, I'm afraid that if any unusual circumstances come up that you three may have to deal with it."</p><p>"Capital!" Professor Port bellowed with a broad smile, "There is no need to fear! As if we would do anything that would increase your workload!" He ignored the looks he received at that, and hastily continued "But now tell us about the young one you're adopting, is it a boy or a girl? Are they being named after me?"</p><p>Glynda gave him an arched look before muttering "I fear for the school already…" under her breath, before responding in a louder voice, "I'm not adopting a newborn, and her name is Jackie Goodwich. I wanted to let you three know about her before I introduced you to her, and I'll bring her down to the staff room later this afternoon."</p><p>"Splendid! I look forward to meeting her! I myself am amazing with kids - why, I once saved an entire orphanage, fending off Grimm while keeping the kiddies calm with my stories all the while!" Port said enthusiastically, while Oobleck merely nodded as he typed away at something on his Scroll.</p><p>Ignoring Port's growing tale of heroism and valor, Glynda turned to Ozpin, "That brings me to my second order of business," she stated. "Because I will be busier, I would like to hire another staff member. This person…" She brought out a dossier, "Has already applied for a nurse position, which has been vacant for quite a while."</p><p>That immediately gained everybody's attention. In a school of Huntsman in training, there were always accidents. Aura prevented most from becoming harmful, but that usually led the younger trainee's to be overconfident in their reserves, and once they ran out of Aura… The results were never pretty. And in the cases of broken bones they had to be careful that the person's Aura didn't replenish until the bones were set. Otherwise their Aura would attempt to heal the broken bones, causing it to heal incorrectly. Therefore, the position of nurse was usually quite stressful for a Huntsman Academy.</p><p>As of late, most minor injuries were treated by the students themselves, with the excuse that doing so was both good practice and a punishment for not paying enough attention to their Aura levels. For more serious wounds, Glynda would provide escort to a hospital in Vale.</p><p>"Hmmm, I shall look through it and schedule a meeting." Ozpin stated, looking at the file. "Miss Nightingale?"</p><p>Glynda nodded, "She's from one of the settlements. While not having her own Aura unlocked, she seems quite capable."</p><p>As the conversation went on, nobody noticed a white squirrel sitting at one of the windows. As soon as the conversation started dwindling, the squirrel leapt to the ground and ran outside, smirking to itself.</p><hr/><p>A polymorphed Merlin was feeling very proud of himself. Of course the girl Amber would survive - HE had been the one to cast the spells on her, so was there any other type of outcome?</p><p>As for the other bits of information that he heard? It made him practically smile in anticipation. Numerous Servants already integrating into the world, with two coming to the school directly. That meant he'd have to be very careful in the future, but it also promised to make for interesting times, which he was eagerly looking forward to.</p><p>He was actually quite curious about this school. When he had first arrived, he had been surprised to find several areas with Bounded Fields protecting them. Different than what he was used to, and complex enough that he couldn't dismiss them out of hand, he was quite confident that he could slip by them after a bit more work.</p><p>Not that he was in a hurry, mind you. He was perfectly content sitting back and watching other people run the show. If things become dire, he'd step in of course… But really, if he stepped in and solved everybody's problems, then how would they ever learn? And where would the sense of accomplishment be?</p><p>That was his story, and he was sticking with it.</p><p>Until then, he had more important things to work on… like upholding his reputation as a prankster.</p><p>Smirking to himself, he spotted a group of students and brightened, thinking only for a moment before deciding on a spell and started to cast it. He was about halfway through with it when -</p><p>"FOU!"</p><p>A white blur dashed across the hallway and slammed into him with surprising force, sending him flying into the wall.</p><p>Recovering quickly, he looked at his assailant with a spell on the tip of his mind, only to dismiss it in surprise.</p><p>"Fou?" He asked incredulously, "How did you get here?"</p><p>The former Beast IV (at least, he hoped that this was a <em>former</em> version…) looked almost victoriously at Merlin even as it glared at him, "Fou!" It declared while giving him a stern look.</p><p>Merlin blinked in surprise, "Oh c'mon Fou, I wasn't going to do anything major, it would have just been in good fun!" He whined, getting a glare from the squirrel-like creature.</p><p>"Fou!" The small creature insisted, and Merlin groaned.</p><p>Honestly, technically Fou had been HIS familiar. All those years of taking care of it, and this was how it showed it's appreciation?</p><p>"Look," he attempted, "a few pranks aren't going to <em>hurt </em>anyone, and it'll keep them on their toes! Good practice for everybody, right?" He finished, resulting in an unimpressed Fou, and he sighed. "Well, it's not like there's much else to do right now." He was NOT pouting. Powerful wizards did not pout.</p><p>He would know, being one of them.</p><p>"Fou!"</p><p>… Ok, he did not like the tone of that. He squinted at the small animal, noting the mischievous glint in it's eyes, before turning pale under the fur.</p><p>Fou was a white furred squirrel-like creature. Currently, Merlin was polymorphed into a white furred squirrel. A very handsome one if he said so himself.</p><p>And he couldn't turn back without revealing himself to the castle.</p><p>"N-now now Fou," he said nervously, "You know that this is just me polymorphed. I'm not actually a squirrel, I'm still very much a man."</p><p>"Fou!" The white furred animal took what the naive would call a cute step. But he knew better, and he would call it a menacing step forward, causing Merlin to take a step back at the same rate.</p><p>"I'm way too busy right now to play around right now!" He insisted, "I'm a busy guy! I'm sure there's some wonderful students who would love to play with you!"</p><p>"Fou!"</p><p>Later that day, students could be seen cooing at the sight of two squirrels 'playing' across the grounds, with one running from the other, and the other playfully catching him and letting him go.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>In Salem's Castle</em>
</p><p>Salem sat at the front of her 'council', of whom only Tyrian Callows, Arthur Watts, and Hazel Rainart were physically present. Two Seer Grimm were present as well, their orbs showing a frustrated Cinder, and a nervous looking Lionheart.</p><p>As she listened to Lionheart give his latest report, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of worry.</p><p>Something was happening in Remnant, and she was unsure as to what.</p><p>She had always been cautious. She had time on her side after all, and with a mindlessly obedient and unquestioning army such as the Grimm at her beck and call she was in the perfect position to manipulate the entirety of Remnant, waiting for the perfect time to strike.</p><p>Little by little, she whittled down the various villages and towns, forcing many to seek refuge in one of the four major cities. Because everybody knew that the Grimm '<em>never</em>' attacked there. This in turn increased the economic strain on each city.</p><p>By directing her Grimm to settle in certain areas, she created patterns. Patterns that Hunters, and others, would notice and 'exploit'. This caused them to become complacent as they grew comfortable in the routines she established, allowing her to predict where people would travel, the actions they would take.</p><p>All of this allowed her to slowly besiege the entirety of Remnant, with nobody the wiser. Although she was aware that she could be more aggressive, destroying more villages, creating more grimm and so forth, she refused to do so until the proper moment. She was very intimate with how… Surprising, humanity could be when pushed against a wall. More than once she had seen how when things were at their bleakest, somebody would rise up in the defense of the people.</p><p>A Hero.</p><p>She scoffed internally. Heroes. More often than not mere puppets of Ozpin. Still, they had proven quite annoying in the past. This was why she was doing things as patiently as she now was. She could afford the time to do so, and nobody realized the true extent of her manipulations.</p><p>The most recent results of these manipulations had borne fruit - the Fall Maiden, a key to an item of overwhelming power, decided to travel all by herself on a supposedly 'safe' path.</p><p>It should have been a foregone conclusion. Cinder and her own pawns had the element of surprise, and all three were extremely talented. Though powerful, the Maidens didn't have increased durability. With the Grimm she bestowed to Cinder, stealing the Maiden's power should have been simple.</p><p>And yet they were interrupted by a third party in the middle of the transfer… One who had given the pseudonym of a character in a legend, a fairy tale, long forgotten. Emerys Myrddin. Or, according to the ancient legend, the wizard Merlin.</p><p>And according to Cinder, he not only displayed a familiarity to the Grimm parasite, he seemingly possessed, at minimum, three separate Semblances.</p><p>She suspected this player was a new tool of Ozpin, similar to the Maidens, but was wary as she was unsure how his exact powers worked. He had not made an appearance elsewhere and she suspected that Ozpin was keeping him close to Amber as a protector.</p><p>As if that wasn't enough, multiple other unforeseen events had occurred.</p><p>An unknown person had attacked Atlas at the Dustpire Mines. While she didn't care about the loss of life, she very much cared about the results of this event. Atlas had been dealt a blow, and were undoubtedly increasing their defenses even more than what they already were. Although the damage to the mine would put a strain on the ever increasing demands for Dust, the military had been seen working hard to save the miners from the collapses caused by the attacker. Such publicity might cause the neutral faunus to look more favorably on Atlas, which would be frustrating.</p><p>The news that some people were working on creating a non-Dust form of energy was also troubling as it would undermine years of driving up the cost of dust and decreasing the supply. She would wait and see what came of it, and if needed she would send Tyrian to ensure they had an accident.</p><p>And finally, the number of Grimm was decreasing across all four kingdoms.</p><p>Normally she would expect that the Huntsmen were making a push of some sort, except this was on a Remnant wide scale, and according to Leonardo the Huntsmen were as clueless as she was.</p><p>They could be replenished, and the number wasn't low enough to cause true alarm yet, but the fact that she was unsure what was killing them made her wary.</p><p>With these new occurrences, she was tempted to sit back and wait. She had survived this long because she refused to take chances, and everything she did was calculated and in her favor. True, her current pawns would object - they had their reasons for joining, and they did not share her long lifespan. However, if she deemed it best to wait a generation, then they would have no choice but to go along.</p><p>… But now, for the first time, she had a pawn with the Maiden's power, even if it was only partially. This was an advantage that she needed to push with. She would simply adapt to the changing circumstances and watch carefully.</p><p>Leonardo finished his report and she smiled at him, smirking inwardly when she saw him flinch. Even though he wasn't here physically she could still inspire fear in the poor man.</p><p>"Thank you for that report Leonardo," She said smoothly, and he gulped.</p><p>"O-of course, your Grace," He deferred nervously, but before he could leave she raised her hand, causing him to freeze.</p><p>"A moment, Leonardo," She murmured, "You have told me that the number of Grimm have gone down in all of the Kingdoms, and yet I have sensed that Mistral seems to have suffered this more than the other kingdoms." She gazed at him coldly with a raised eyebrow, not letting him see how much she enjoyed how panicked he became at that accusation. "Do you, perhaps, know more about this?"</p><p>She knew that it wasn't him. He was so scared of her that he wouldn't dare move against her, but it never hurt to reinforce his fear.</p><p>Cutting off his spluttering denials, she continued. "If it is not you, then I recommend that you put more effort into looking into what is causing it." She sat back casually, "In the meantime, you will continue to reduce the Hunter's capability around Mistral."</p><p>He looked sick at that statement, and yet he bowed down nonetheless, "Of c-course, your Grace." He stated brokenly, and as he walked away she let him do so.</p><p>Turning to the rest, she first looked to Arthur Watts, "Arthur, I'd like you to look into this 'giant' that Atlas is studying," she stated smoothly, "If he is as antagonistic to Atlas as he appears to be, then he might be a valuable ally in the future." She cocked her head at him questioningly, "Are you confident in your abilities to break into their network?"</p><p>He smirked, "Of course I can," He replied, not even trying to hide his eagerness. "As if they could keep such fascinating information away from me. An Aura-less man capable of embarrassing the Atlesian army to this extent?" He looked at Cinder out of the corner of his eye, "Perhaps you could learn a thing or two from this Brute my dear," he stated with a cruel smile, "Without Aura, and it still took an army to restrain him, whereas you couldn't take on one man despite having Aura."</p><p>Cinder flushed, her fury evident despite the distortion from seeing through the Seer, but was interrupted by Salem herself before she could reply as she'd like. "The man appears to be a new pawn of Ozpin, and the point he made with the Maiden's power not working right was indeed a valid one." She stated, "Such a man should not be underestimated. And with that," She turned to Cinder, "Have you had any difficulty in using the power?"</p><p>Cinder smirked triumphantly at Watts before turning to Cinder, "No, I have not." She replied, "The power flows easily, and it feels <em>glorious.</em>" To emphasize this, she summoned globes of fire into her hands, her expression making it clear how much she enjoyed her new power. "I can only imagine how it feels to have the entirety of it flowing through me," She stated with relish.</p><p>"Very good," She approved, "We'll have to work on a plan to allow you to recover the rest of the power. If Amber remembers what you three look like, that will make things… troublesome in the future. In the meantime, we'll continue with the plan of working with the criminal underworld. You should also prepare to talk with the White Fang. Even with just a portion of the Maiden's power it should be easy to bring them to heel."</p><p>Cinder winced at the reminder of her failure and gave a nod, "Of course, I'll do so immediately." She stated.</p><p>After that, the meeting continued as normal. Tyrian and Hazel were to remain on standby for now, though if these strange events continued she would send them to investigate, and the others knew their tasks.</p><p>As the meeting concluded, she was surprised when a Seer came up to her with a signal that somebody was trying to contact her. Eyes narrowed, she reached out to complete the connection when it was suddenly cut off. Quickly reaching out with her senses, she confirmed that the Seer on the other end of the connection had just been killed.</p><p>And it had occurred in Mistral.</p><p>Perhaps she would be sending Hazel to investigate sooner rather than later.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>In Mistral</em>
</p><p>Alpha looked at the scene in front of him in horror, his claw outstretched.</p><p>Grimm were creatures of limited intelligence, but as time went on they evolved. They <em>learned.</em></p><p>Unknown to all of Remnant, Grimm of sufficient intelligence were aware of another type of Grimm called <em>Seers. </em>Capable of contacting other Seers, Ancient Grimm were able to use them to contact other Ancient Grimm. Though they rarely did so, they were able to do so to coordinate if needed.</p><p>More importantly, they were able to contact their Queen in dire circumstances when needed.</p><p>Normally Alpha would never even think of contacting the Queen. Such a thing was almost unthinkable, a form of blaspheme even, that she would ever care of the existence of one so lowly as himself.</p><p>But this… He was desperate.</p><p>The stub of his left forearm throbbed as he thought of the strange aura-less Huntsman that he and his pack had found weeks ago. The day his pack died. Normally such a thought would leave him in a fury, but now it simply left him cold with fear, if such a feeling was possible for a Grimm.</p><p>He couldn't get rid of him. He had employed every trick he knew of, and yet the scarred man with the two strange swords always found him. Their latest clash had resulted in the removal of an arm, and it STILL burned!</p><p>The strange Huntsman - and he was a Huntsman, Alpha was convinced of this. He must be - never seemed to care about other Grimm unless they were Beowolves, though if they were in his path he would not hesitate to fight them. The only way Alpha had truly gained ground on the other was when he ran through another pack of Beowolves.</p><p>He didn't feel guilty about his actions. It was either them or him, and he would not let it be him if he could prevent it.</p><p>But even this wasn't working as well as he had hoped anymore, and he feared he would need to change tactics soon.</p><p>But his main goal had been reached! He had found a Seer! His Queen needed to know of this strange threat as soon as possible, and he had eagerly reached out to create the connection, feeling a sense of awe and wonder…</p><p>Only for a large tree to crack and collapse, falling down on the Seer Grimm before a connection could be established.</p><p>Grimm were incapable of crying, and yet Alpha felt the urge to do so as he looked on in horror.</p><p>
  <em>What had he done to deserve such luck?!</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Flying above the tree's, a crow could be seen wobbling in a semi-drunken fashion in the air as it traveled to it's next destination.</em>
</p><hr/><p>As Alpha stared in horrified shock at the sight of the dead Seer, he felt an oppressive feeling coming closer, one that he had grown intimately familiar with, and he immediately burst into a three legged run.</p><p>Finding this Seer had been a miracle, and he couldn't count on finding another. Another tactic was needed.</p><p>He just wasn't sure what.</p><p>But that would have to wait, as images of a twisted sword filled his imagination and he felt an itch in between his shoulder blades.</p><p>"You are surprisingly elusive, I must admit." A voice resounded in the distance behind him, barely within range, and he redoubled his efforts even as a cold laugh echoed behind him.</p><p>"It's admirable, if pointless. Hrunting WILL find you, that is fact. The only variable left to determine is where you shall be cut down."</p><p>Alpha whimpered to himself once more.</p><p>
  <em>Truly, what had he done to deserve such luck?!</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'd like to thank everybody who has left a comment or who has favorited this story. This was the first story I started writing here, and I'm really glad to see that it has been received so favorably. Hopefully everybody will continue to enjoy the story as chapters continue to come.</p><p>I'd like to thank my brother, Autumnstar, and my sister, CaptainDarkElf, for their help in peer reviewing this chapter and making sure that it is presentable.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Rivalries</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Within the kingdom of Mistral, a horde formed.</p><p>Ursa, Boarbatusks, Beowolves, a pair of Deathstalkers, and even a towering Goliath. All gathered together in one large group, their white armor contrasting against their black fur and skin, the sound of their restlessness echoing, giving warning of the danger gathered.</p><p>To say this sort of event was unusual was an understatement. The only time that the Grimm gathered in groups such as this was when there was a large source of negativity to draw them in. Typically, when this happened, a massacre would soon follow.</p><p>It's for these reasons that the Kingdoms of Revenant put great pains into tracking congregations such as these. With enough advanced preparation, even a group such as this could be neutralized through Hunters, copious use of artillery strikes, and Bullheads.</p><p>But that sort of thing required time to put together.</p><p>A fair distance away from the horde within a copse of trees a small commotion took place.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>In the copse of trees</em>
</p><p>Raven Branwen, estranged wife of Taiyang Xiao Long, former leader of one of the strongest teams to come out of Beacon, and currently leader and strongest warrior of the group of bandits known as the Branwen Tribe.</p><p>Currently, she was glaring at the corpses of several birds, their feathers still drifting to the ground.</p><p><em>The ability to turn into a corvid,</em> She griped in her head as she resisted the urge to burn the bodies. <em>Oh, it's great for stealth, convenient for traveling, and you can FLY. Nobody ever mentioned all the birds that would see me as prime 'mate' material!</em></p><p>Not that she could blame them, as she was obviously the best choice. But this sort of thing happened EVERY. YEAR!</p><p>Pulling in her frustration, she turned to the horde and observed them carefully. They were too close to where the tribe was currently located for comfort's sake, and as such the tribe was in the process of making preparations to relocate. The horde wasn't large enough to threaten them, but she was wary of any unusual Grimm activity. Unlike the Kingdoms, she was aware of Salem. Knowing that there was somebody behind the Grimm that could direct and lead them made them infinitely more dangerous, and she would not be caught in such a trap.</p><p>While some might find it unusual for the leader of the tribe to perform the task of observing the enemy, she was rather uniquely suited for this task. Her Semblance would allow her to instantly teleport back to the tribe should the Grimm make their move, and she was skilled enough in stealth to avoid detection.</p><p>That, and she hoped that this would distract her from the frustrations that plagued her as of late, and she found herself cursing an annoyingly observant blonde archer staying with Taiyang and the girls.</p><p>She had been surprised when she found out that a Faunus was staying with her former family, and had initially been suspicious. After an extended amount of time spying on her, she was quick to see that Atalanta absolutely adored the girls. But more than that, from what she saw as she trained with the girls, she was strong. Extremely so.</p><p>So when the Faunus woman had somehow realized that Raven had been spying on them and had forced a confrontation between them without the girls present, she had made the offer of joining her and her tribe.</p><p>She thought she was getting somewhere at first as well, as the other seemed to have similar ideas regarding strength as she did. Having no idea of who Ozpin was was an additional mark in her favor.</p><p>The discussion had turned to Ruby and Yang however, and when the invitation was extended she had vehemently refused. During the following discussion Atalanta discovered Raven's current status with her ex-husband and Yang.</p><p>She had never seen somebody's facial expression change to hatred as fast Atalanta's did right then.</p><p>The discussion only devolved from there. While Raven wasn't worried about losing to the Faunus, she saw no benefit in actually fighting. As such, she simply left.</p><p>Though there was one moment that put her on edge and made her suspicious. In her rage, Atalanta had appeared to grab something, her aura turning a dark purple… Honestly, it almost felt like a Grimm itself.</p><p>The feeling lasted only for a second however before she apparently changed her mind, and Atalanta had afterwards declared that she would not abandon the children as Raven did, had even sworn that she would ensure that they would surpass all Raven's Tribe.</p><p>That was a month ago.</p><p>While she wasn't worried about Atalanta being a threat to the girls considering how she acted towards them, that aura she had released made her paranoid. For that reason, the next time that she had seen her foolish brother she might have implied that the Faunus was a danger to Yang and Ruby.</p><p>As overprotective as he was, she was confident he would do something about it.</p><p>It was due to this that she discovered that Atalanta had been performing a rather successful campaign against all birds within a mile radius of the cabin. While he didn't suffer anything more than a broken wing, Raven dearly wished she could have been there to see that failure for herself.</p><p>Not that she needed more evidence that her brother was a fool, but it was something that brought amusement into her life.</p><p>Regardless, she was unable to observe her family like she used to, which caused her much frustration. She was hoping that by getting out and doing something it would relieve some of the stress that had been building up.</p><p>Her thoughts were cut short as she saw a figure walk out of the woods and start heading towards the horde.</p><p>At first she thought that he was one of Salem's tools - the way he was walking towards the group of snarling monsters without fear led to that theory rather handily. This is why she was surprised to see the whole horde focus on the lone man and snarl, hackles rising and bestial roars echoing.</p><p>The man wasn't scared of them, but they were clearly hostile towards him. A moron then. Heaven knows there were enough of them in the world.</p><p>Despite her judgement, Raven felt her eyes narrow as she stared at the scene. Something was off. She was too far away to see many details of the man, but the movements he made were confident. Two swords in his hands, she couldn't tell many details about them, but he wielded the large weapons without any awkwardness.</p><p>The air seemed to shake with anticipation, and Raven blinked in confusion as despite what her brain was telling her, her instincts were practically screaming that something was about to happen.</p><p>Leaning forward, Raven watched the scene intently.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Within the horde</em>
</p><p>The man walked out from the tree line, and Alpha immediately leaped to attention, the action alerting every other Grimm in the area as they focused on the monster in human skin.</p><p>The blasted nightmare of a Huntsman had followed him relentlessly, and after the incident with the Seer, Alpha had come to the realization that simply running away was not going to work. The man was following him despite his employing every trick he knew, and every trick that he made up.</p><p>Admittedly, avoiding long term hunts wasn't something that he nor his pack had ever experienced, but he'd have thought that the man would lose interest at some point! He certainly had no issues with taking detours to wipe out other Beowulf packs.</p><p>So if running wasn't an option, then he'd have to fight.</p><p>Grimm, unlike other animals, were immortal. The longer they lived, the more they learned. The more they learned, the stronger they became, eventually becoming advanced versions of their species.</p><p>Beowolves to Alpha Beowolves, Ursa Minor to Ursa Major. These Grimm were far more dangerous than their younger kin, as they were capable of strategy and trickery. Many Huntsmen had been led into a trap, thinking they were dealing with mere animals.</p><p>Regular Grimm could sense this of course, and while these older Grimm tended to gather together it wasn't unusual for one such to be seen leading a group of their less experienced siblings, the instincts of the smaller Grimm naturally submitting to the authority of the stronger.</p><p>Recruiting the Beowolf packs had been easy, as he used his authority as an Alpha Beowolf to gather them. Many were even other Alpha's, if younger and not as intelligent as himself.</p><p>The Ursa and Boarbatusks were harder. Whereas an Elder Grimm could command all Grimm lesser than it, an Alpha usually only had authority within his own species. An Elder Grimm was rare though, and they rarely gathered a horde together unless it was at the order of the Goddess.</p><p>Instead, as far out as they were from settlements and negativity, most Grimm became lethargic until a sufficient source of negative energy came by. It was due to this lethargy that he was able to cajole those of that species that he found.</p><p>The Deathstalkers and Goliath were a stroke of luck. The hunter had actually intruded upon the Scorpion-like Grimm's lair and had killed one of the younger ones before continuing his hunt. Enraged, the Deathstalkers attempted to give chase. While it had taken a bit to get his point across, they eventually joined this small horde.</p><p>A Goliath, the hulking behemoth several stories tall, had been curious. The elephant-like Grimm were the oldest and most patient of the Grimm, second only to the Elder Grimm themselves. They never attacked unless provoked, and simply stalked along the perimeters of the various kingdoms, waiting for the order of the Goddess. Upon seeing the group, one had decided to join.</p><p>It was a fairly large horde, if lacking in many of the Alpha species. Not as large as what an Elder Grimm could gather, but still much more than what a simple Alpha had ever needed to attempt. Alpha worried that the Goddess might be upset at him for his actions, seeing as how she usually restrained the Elders from creating hordes themselves most of the time, and he hoped that she understood.</p><p>Seeing the Huntsman in front of him now caused the stump of his arm to itch, and he growled out for the Beowolves to flank and attack from the sides, while the Boarbatusks and Ursa simply prepared to charge. The Goliath and Deathstalkers brought up the rear.</p><p>This was it. They had numbers on their side, as well as powerful Grimm! The scourge that had been hunting him and his kin was undeniably strong, and even now bared his teeth at them in amusement, but there was no way that he could destroy this many!</p><p>…</p><p>And yet, if that were the case, why was he still feeling this new emotion of dread?</p><hr/><p>
  <em>With Beowulf</em>
</p><p>Beowulf smiled in anticipation at the sight in front of him. The cowardly name-stealers had finally gotten tired of shaming his name further and had gathered themselves together for him. How thoughtful.</p><p>Oh, and there were a bunch of other monsters as well that he should probably kill. Well, they'd just have to wait their turn.</p><p>He was becoming tired of chasing after the original name-thief. He had wounded it early on, and without its pack he figured it would be easy pickings. No need to waste energy, the beast would wear itself out eventually.</p><p>But then it didn't.</p><p>However, before he decided to take things more seriously, he realized that the original was showing it's intelligence once more by attempting to distract him, going through packs of similar thieves.</p><p>It was a rather transparent attempt of distraction. It was for this reason that he couldn't help but laugh considering how effective it was. In the end, he decided to let it be. If the original was going to keep showing him where others were, then he could find it in his heart to spare him. For a time at least.</p><p>Some of the larger beasts roared and charged, the earth shaking beneath their weight. Ursa and… Boarbatusks? He scoffed as he readied Naegling.</p><p>The creatures thundered closer and Beowulf took a deep breath as he focused himself.</p><p>Though his main purpose these last couple months had been in the eradication of those that sullied his name, he would have hunted the blackened creatures anyways. It was part of who he was.</p><p>He was a warrior, a man of Geat, who traveled far and wide across the land.</p><p>He was a hunter who killed monsters of the land for the simple reason that they were a danger to his people.</p><p>He was a reluctant king. Despite not wanting the burden of kingship, he took it and the duties it entailed.</p><p>Despite being in his 70's, it was he that was the only one willing to take on the dragon threatening his lands. And. He. Beat. It.</p><p>True, it killed him as well, but that was besides the point.</p><p>Ultimately though, he was a Hero.</p><p>And these cretins were a danger to the humanity of this land that needed to be removed.</p><p>
  <em>Of heroes then living. He was the stoutest and strongest, sturdy and noble.</em>
</p><p>Naegling, the Iron-Hammer Snake. A clunky name, matching it's unwieldy nature. More akin to a club, this was a sword whose sole purpose was of smashing, no cutting abilities of its own. Though less famous than his other sword, it made up for it's deficiencies in power.</p><p>He raised it high, and for an instant the cracks in the weapon were illuminated with a crimson glow, a core a royal blue, and slammed it onto the ground with all his strength, the ground buckling and cracking under the strain.</p><p>Stone turned loose as cracks spread, so focused were the Boarbatusks in their charge and target that they failed to realize the change happening in front of them.</p><p>Armored bodies ran on now unsteady ground, their feet slipping and buckling. The speed of their charge and the weight of their own bodies working against them as they crashed into the ground and each other amongst squeals of confusion.</p><p>Hrunting, the Hound of the Red Plains. In Beowulf's other hand, he wielded the sword that tracked Grendel. Though it's true strength lay in its ability to sniff out it's prey, it was still a magical sword - A Beast Slaying sword in the hands of a Beast an instant, Beowulf was in the midst of the downed boars, sword slicing through Grimm armour as if it wasn't there.</p><p>The name-thieves then reached him, lunging and snarling desperately at the source of fear that many had felt, pushing their panic back and letting themselves fall into bloodlust.</p><p>With practiced movements, he leaped backwards, maneuvering around the corpses of the decaying boars to provide a bit of cover as he evaded the teeth. Just as he had done so, the Ursa made their presence known.</p><p>He disappeared from view as multiple types of Grimm overwhelmed him with numbers, biting and scratching at what they could. And yet the grin never left his face, even as blood trickled down his face and body.</p><p>To those Grimm that were closest to him, the stirrings of unease came as that same grin grew more vicious.</p><p>Though he retained his mental faculties, Beowulf fell under the Berserker class. While he was a good king, a Hero was summoned in the golden years of his life, and it was at that time in his life that it could be safely said that he was one that <em>thrived</em> on battle.</p><p>
  <em>The wise amongst the Geats knew of his skill and valour, his strength that of thirty men, for they had seen him come back from battle stained in the blood of his enemies.</em>
</p><p>A swing of Naegling was all that was needed to give him some breathing room, breaking bones and shattering armor. Hrunting slashed and pierced, bypassing the armor and going straight for the throats. The more Grimm that were slain, the greater red seemed to permeate from both of the demonic weapons.</p><p>The Grimm were unused to working together to use their numbers to take down one person, and it showed in their attacks. Ursa disregarded the downed Boarbatusks and trampled over them in their attempt to get to the man, and while the Beawolves could work together decently well they were unused to working with the bear-like Ursa.</p><p>Beowulf used this to his advantage, managing to keep from being overwhelmed as he laughed in enjoyment.</p><p>The thundering of the ground was the only warning he got, and with instincts blaring at him he kicked out at the ground, launching himself away just as the Goliath rammed the ground with its tusks, tossing aside name-thieves, Ursa, and Boarbatusk aside with contemptuous ease. It glared at Beowulf with baleful red eyes and trumpeted loudly at him before charging once more.</p><p>He smirked at it back, and charged <em>it.</em></p><p>
  <em>It was he who destroyed the water monsters, grinding them to bits before the rising tide. He who killed the family of giants, enduring pain throughout the night to do so. Oh creature of Darkness, why do you think you are an exception?</em>
</p><p>He ran quickly to the multi-story tall Grimm, dashing under it's foot just before it hit the ground and pointed Hrunting up while bracing himself.</p><p>The clawed foot slammed down, unintentionally driving the sword into the center with a flash of red light.</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>PAIN</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>The Goliath <em>screamed, </em>immediately pushing itself on its hind legs in an attempt to get away from the pain, but it kept <em>burning. </em>It had been many, many years since it had last felt pain on this level, and even then it doubted that it had felt anything on this level of encompassing.</p><p>Beowulf smirked as he left Hrunting to be stuck within the foot. He wasn't merely a brute, and he had fought giant creatures before. Creatures of such size needed to be very careful of their feet. All of that weight put onto four relatively small areas, it made them extremely vulnerable. Damage the feet, and you remove the threat.</p><p>Ignoring the pained Grimm, he held Naegling with both hands as he faced the pair of large scorpion Grimm that were now bearing down on him. Allowing a shudder of revulsion to go through him at the sight of the arachnids, he got into a stance and waited.</p><p>He didn't need to wait long, and soon the two were <em>right there</em>, stabbing at him with poison practically dripping from their stingers. Shifting, he quickly leapt on top of one, to their great surprise. Adjusting his stance on the slick white armor, he slammed his feet down hard right next to its eyes.</p><p>"Creatures like you," He grunted balefully, "Belong only in one place. <em>Under my heel!"</em></p><p>He brought Naegling down right between its eight eyes, crunching through the armor. Almost instantly he shifted as the other stabbed right where he was. Grabbing a hold of the stinger, he allowed it to lift himself into the air. Getting a better grasp of the stinger, he <em>twisted, </em>breaking it off from the rest of the tail even as the scorpion shrieked. Letting himself fall, he drove the stinger into one of its eight eyes.</p><p>Leaping off the Deathstalker while it was in the middle of its death throes, Beowulf looked around carefully before relaxing, ignoring the blood dripping from his new wounds as he stretched. The rest of the horde were either dead or had run away (or in the case of the Goliath, trying desperately to get the burning sword out of its foot) and the field was now filled with the bodies of the Grimm that were decaying rapidly. It had been a while since he had had a fight that had given him a workout.</p><p>He paused for a moment as he thought back briefly, and then cursed.</p><p>He didn't have any memory of killing the original name-thief. He'd have to get Hrunting back to be sure, but… It looked like the coward had run off once again.</p><p>He had been fine with it at first, as the original kept leading him towards other name-thieves, but his patience was growing <em>very </em>thin in regards to the wolf Grimm and its antics.</p><p>He readied Naegling as he looked at the elephant Grimm, contemplating. Sure, it was in pain and not paying attention to him, but it was far from dying. So how best to kill it with just a club…</p><p>
  <em>Though Grendel feared not the men of Danes, he learned to fear a man of Geat. So too would these creatures learn to fear the last of the Geats.</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Raven's perspective</em>
</p><p>Raven found herself looking at the man with much greater interest than she had before.</p><p>Sure, it had been a small horde, and defeating such a group was within her own capabilities if she so desired, but it still showed how strong he was.</p><p>And that aura he emanated… To be more precise, the two separate auras she felt in his swords. That was unusual.</p><p>A person could shift and redirect their aura - possibly to provide greater protection in a certain area, or to coat their weapons for an even greater blow. Doing so however was oftentimes considered foolhardy, as it left the body unprotected. Seeing as how he was bleeding heavily from his wounds, he must have done this. But why was there the feeling of two separate auras?</p><p>Her mind flashed back to her confrontation with Atalanta, and the different aura she had for an instant.</p><p>Was it connected?</p><p>Regardless, he was obviously not connected to Salem, and he had proven that he was very strong, thus making her very interested. Perhaps he would be more amenable to joining the tribe.</p><p>Changing into her bird form, she decided she'd spy on him and observe him before making an offer. Perhaps she would learn more about his dual aura.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Across the field</em>
</p><p>Hidden, with Scrolls pointed towards where the former horde was, two boys lay crouched.</p><p>"Dude, that was awesome!" Sun Wukong whispered excitedly to his friend, Neptune Vasilias.</p><p>"Um, I think you mean terrifying, don't you?" He replied back, looking at Sun incredulously. "And why are we whispering? That guy is the only one left alive!" He huffed, "And why did you even want to travel all the way out here anyways?! That horde could have sensed us!"</p><p>Sun shrugged, "I can't tell if he's a 'chill' type of awesome, or a 'dangerous' type of awesome," he admitted. "And besides, with us applying to Haven soon, I figured that having some bro time would be good, you know? What better way to do that than some camping?"</p><p>He nudged his friend with a smirk, "Don't worry, if I see any girls I'll give you a warning so you can freshen up for them."</p><p>Neptune huffed as he looked down at his dirtied clothes. In truth, he normally wouldn't be opposed to camping, and this area was normally pretty safe, even if it was much farther out than usual. Sure, they weren't huntsmen, but neither he nor Sun were slouches in combat. His only problem with all of it was that Sun had decided on this last minute, begging him to go with. And he had a decent idea of why that was.</p><p>"Just hanging out, huh?" He asked with his own smirk, "Are you sure this isn't your way of getting away from your sister?"</p><p>The effect was instant, Sun immediately flinched and looked over his shoulder in a paranoid fashion, "I've told you, that thing isn't my sister!" He hissed at Neptune, who shook his head.</p><p>"I don't know, your parents signed the papers and everything, didn't they? That sounds pretty official to me." He replied.</p><p>Sun groaned, "Nooo, I told you, SHE was definitely a HE!" He protested weakly, looking beyond tired at what was clearly something he had stated many times. "When I first met him, he said HIS name was Sun Wukong! I mean, I thought he was just playing some sort of weird joke or something, but when I said I was Sun Wukong, he just…" He struggled with the words and Neptune sighed.</p><p>"He just went poof and became a girl?" He finished tiredly, having heard Sun state this several times already.</p><p>"Yes!" He exclaimed, "It's gotta be a Semblance, right?"</p><p>"Dude…" Neptune bit his lip, "I mean, if it's a trick, then it's a pretty crazy trick, to be able to fool your mom, you know? And why would they do it?"</p><p>"I don't know," the monkey Faunus groaned, "It's been a couple months and all he does is smirk at me! He's doing it to make fun of me, I just know it!"</p><p>Neptune sighed as he tried to calm his friend down. He looked down at the field again, and the man was no longer visible. Hopefully he went to get his wounds checked, because some of those looked pretty bad.</p><p>"What should we do with the recordings?" He asked, snapping Sun out of his morose thoughts.</p><p>Sun regained his smirk, "Dude, we're totally posting it!" He exclaimed excitedly, "That fight was epic! And it'll do people good to see a Huntsman kicking Grimm butt like that." He thought about it for a bit, "And just think of all the views that we'll get with something like that," He added, "The quality isn't great at our distance, but it'll still be sweet!"</p><p>Neptune stifled a chuckle at the change in his friend, being careful not to mention that it wouldn't be safe for them to camp here overnight, so they'd have to go back to town. He didn't get why Sun was so against Tsun, but he would do his part in being a good friend.</p><p>Better not mention that Tsun had been talking to him about maybe becoming a Huntress. While Neptune loved the idea, he knew that Sun would be horrified with such a prospect. Why worry him with something that might not come about?</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Alpha's perspective</em>
</p><p>Alpha ran. Desperate and afraid.</p><p>The plan failed. It had failed, and he was now back to running.</p><p>What should he do? What COULD he do? Running was ineffective, fighting was pointless… Hiding? Where could he hide? Equally pointless as everything else!</p><p>He ran, forgoing all thought and just focused on running.</p><p>As he did this, he didn't realize the shift in his body as more armour grew from his skin, his body becoming larger and the stump of his arm itching furiously as it slowly started to reform.</p><p>In response to the extended exposure to fear, his body started changing.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>"Fear is necessary for evolution. The fear that one could be destroyed at any moment."<br/>-Sosuke Aizen.</p><p>Well, another chapter done. This is the first time I've tried doing an extended fighting scene, so please let me know how I did with it.</p><p>I've mentioned it before, but the Heroes summoned will be approximately of Huntsman strength. They are definitely not running at full capacity. However, Beowulf has an advantage against Grimm because his legends declare him as a Beast Hunter, and he wields swords known for slaying beasts.</p><p>For the next chapter, who would you guys like me to write about next? I'd like to do one of the RWBY or JNPR team members, and would like you guys to choose.</p><p>I'd also like to thank everybody for favoriting and commenting. I really enjoy reading people's thoughts on what I am writing, and do enjoy finding ways on how I can improve.</p><p>And lastly, I'd like to thank my brother, Autumnstar, and sisters, Bluefires and CaptainDarkElf, for beta reading this chapter for me, and for the suggestions they gave.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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